MIT News - Staffhttps://news.mit.edu/topic/mitstaff-rss.xml
MIT News is dedicated to communicating to the media and the public the news and achievements of the students, faculty, staff and the greater MIT community.enMon, 25 Sep 2017 15:20:01 -0400Christine Wang receives American Association for Crystal Growth Awardhttps://news.mit.edu/2017/christine-wang-receives-american-association-crystal-growth-award-0925
Award recognizes outstanding contributions to the field of crystal growth and epitaxy, the development of crystals for use in photonics, microelectronics, and more.Mon, 25 Sep 2017 15:20:01 -0400Kylie Foy | Lincoln Laboratoryhttps://news.mit.edu/2017/christine-wang-receives-american-association-crystal-growth-award-0925<p>Christine A. Wang, a senior staff member in the Laser Technology and Applications Group at MIT Lincoln Laboratory, has received the 2017 American Association for Crystal Growth Award for "seminal and innovative contributions to epitaxial crystal growth of III-V&nbsp;compound semiconductors and the design of high-performance OMVPE [organometallic vapor phase epitaxy] reactors." Wang accepted the award and presented a plenary talk during the 21st American Conference on Crystal Growth and Epitaxy this summer in Santa Fe, New Mexico.</p>
<p>"Christine Wang has been long recognized as a world expert in the field of OMVPE growth of III-V semiconductor materials and the design of OMVPE reactors," said Craig Keast, associate head of the Advanced Technology Division at the laboratory. "Her early work at Lincoln Laboratory on gas flow visualization in OMVPE reactor growth cells led to some key understandings of the proper design of OMVPE systems, and the results of her work were subsequently incorporated into the design of commercial systems."</p>
<p>Wang's design concepts are used today in virtually all large-scale, rotating disk OMVPE reactors. OMVPE reactors are used to deposit III-V semiconductor materials on wafers. These wafers are processed to make solar cells, light-emitting diodes (LEDs), lasers, transistors, and other high-power, high-speed electronic switching devices. Wang's pioneering studies of OMVPE reactors for highly controllable and reproducible epitaxial growth have impacted the multibillion-dollar industries these technologies make up today.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Beyond her earlier work on OMVPE reactors, Wang led the investigation and use of nonconventional chemical compounds to enable epitaxial growth of high-quality metastable antimonide-based III-V semiconductors and advanced the state of the art in the epitaxial growth of gallium arsenide-, gallium antimonide-, and indium phosphide-based optoelectronic devices, including diode lasers, quantum cascade lasers, and thermophotovoltaic cells. Her current research is focused on the development of high-power, continuous-wave quantum cascade lasers emitting in the long-wave infrared wavelength region.&nbsp;</p>
<p>"I was completely surprised and overwhelmed to learn that I would receive this award. I know the work of the folks who have received the award in the past, and I never expected that my work might be considered in their league," Wang said. "As I reflect back on my work at the laboratory that led to the award, I am truly grateful for the opportunities to work on hard problems and the freedom to pursue solutions with independence along with the contributions of many outstanding collaborators."&nbsp;</p>
<p>Throughout her career at Lincoln Laboratory, Wang has authored or coauthored more than 170 publications, has been granted eight patents, has given numerous invited talks at national and international conferences, and has edited one book. She has chaired and organized numerous national and international conferences related to epitaxial crystal growth and mid-infrared materials, and is currently a member of the Executive Committee for the American Association of Crystal Growth, Electronic Materials Conference Committee, and International Advisory Committee for International Conferences on Metalorganic Vapor Phase Epitaxy. She has also served as a mentor to many staff members at the Laboratory and to numerous MIT undergraduate and graduate students. Wang will serve as the program cochair for the next International Conference on Crystal Growth and Epitaxy in 2019.</p>
<p>Wang earned bachelor's, master's, and PhD degrees in materials science and engineering at MIT.</p>
Christine Wang holds her American Association for Crystal Growth Award. Light catches the award, a synthetic ruby inset with a plaque describing the honor. Photo: Glen CooperStaff, Awards, honors and fellowships, Lincoln Laboratory, Materials Science and Engineering, DMSE, Semiconductors, Alumni/aeGene Keselman named MIT Innovation Initiative executive directorhttps://news.mit.edu/2017/gene-keselman-named-mit-innovation-initiative-executive-director-0921
Longtime U.S. Air Force officer, entrepreneur, and nonprofit executive joins the initiative to help build out the next phase of its mission. Thu, 21 Sep 2017 14:00:01 -0400Terri Park | MIT Innovation Initiativehttps://news.mit.edu/2017/gene-keselman-named-mit-innovation-initiative-executive-director-0921<p>Gene Keselman, an accomplished&nbsp;leader with considerable experience in the military, startups, nonprofits, and corporate&nbsp;and academic environments, has joined&nbsp;the Institute&nbsp;as the new executive director of the MIT Innovation Initiative.</p>
<p>Keselman started&nbsp;his new position on Sept. 11 and will lay out a strategic vision for the next phase of the initiative. Among his&nbsp;duties will be&nbsp;building on recent progress made in the areas of education, research, and community building, including the undergraduate minor in entrepreneurship and&nbsp;innovation and the launch of the Hong Kong Innovation Node. Keselman will also look to pilot new programs and activities that further the initiative’s goals of enhancing innovation and entrepreneurship across the MIT campus and beyond.</p>
<p>“We are very excited to welcome Gene to the team,” says MIT Innovation Initiative Co-Director Fiona Murray.&nbsp;“His experience designing and scaling programs combined with his desire to create partnerships and channels throughout the innovation ecosystem, positions him well for the executive director role.”</p>
<p>“I’m confident that under his leadership, the initiative will continue to thrive and progressively realize our mission of establishing clear and effective pathways for our community to move ideas from conception to impact,” adds Murray, who is also the Bill Porter Professor of Entrepreneurship and Associate Dean of Innovation&nbsp;at the MIT Sloan School of Management.</p>
<p>Keselman comes to the Institute after having served in a number of leadership roles, including as co-founder of Esports One, an analytics and data startup that originated out of MIT and&nbsp;uses advanced machine learning technologies to enhance the electronic sports industry. He is also the co-founder and board director of the Foundation for Innovation and Discovery, a Washington-based nonprofit that connects the U.S. government with new technology. In addition, he has worked as a space and defense industry consultant supporting corporate stakeholders and advising C-suite decision makers.</p>
<p>A longtime officer in the U.S. Air Force, Keselman will continue serving the assistant secretary of defense for research and engineering at the Pentagon as the chief of technology development of the Joint Reserve Directorate, providing critical future technology and engineering bridges between commercial development and military capitalization. Now a lieutenant colonel in the Air Force Reserve, he spent 12 years on active duty after receiving his commission through officer training school. He has held a variety of positions spanning military fields, including nuclear operations, space operations, and acquisition, and has run numerous operational and research and development&nbsp;programs in the intelligence community. He&nbsp;has also been published in academic journals on space science, is certified as a U.S. government chief information officer,&nbsp;and is fluent in Russian.</p>
<p>Keselman earned&nbsp;a bachelor’s degree in economics and political science from the University of Michigan, and a master’s of science degree in information systems from George Washington University. More recently, he earned a master’s of business administration degree from MIT Sloan,&nbsp;where he was also an associate investigator in the Operations Management group performing research for a study on wearable biosensors and performance in multiplayer games.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
Gene Keselman has joined the MIT Innovation Initiative as its new executive directorPhoto courtesy of the MIT Innovation Initiative.Innovation and Entrepreneurship (I&E), Innovation Initiative, Startups, Sloan School of Management, StaffCall for nominations: 2018 Excellence Awards and Collier Medal https://news.mit.edu/2017/call-for-nominations-2018-excellence-awards-and-collier-medal-0919
Tue, 19 Sep 2017 17:25:01 -0400Human Resourceshttps://news.mit.edu/2017/call-for-nominations-2018-excellence-awards-and-collier-medal-0919<p>Do you have a colleague or know a team at MIT whose exceptional work should be acknowledged and celebrated? Whether it’s for promoting an inclusive workplace, collaborative problem solving, or taking the initiative to improve customer service, MIT Human Resources invites you to recognize that remarkable individual or team by submitting a nomination for the 2018 MIT Excellence Awards and Collier Medal.</p>
<p>The MIT Excellence Awards and Collier Medal are among the highest honors given to MIT employees as they acknowledge the extraordinary efforts made by members of the MIT community toward fulfilling the goals, values, and mission of the Institute.</p>
<p>The nomination period for the 2018 MIT Excellence Awards and Collier Medal is open through Friday, Oct. 13. This year, you have the opportunity to resubmit your nominations from 2017 with a new “resubmit” option. Visit the MIT Human Resources website to access the <a href="http://hrweb.mit.edu/rewards/reward-programs/mit-excellence-award/nomination" target="_blank">nomination form and instructions</a>.</p>
<p>The MIT Excellence Awards and the Collier Medal represent MIT staff and the MIT community at their best. The seven award categories are:</p>
<ul>
<li>Advancing Inclusion and Global Perspectives: maximizing MIT's strengths;</li>
<li>Bringing out the Best: everyday leadership throughout MIT;</li>
<li>Innovative Solutions: collaborating for results;</li>
<li>Outstanding Contributor: working behind the scenes (formerly known as Unsung Hero);</li>
<li>Serving the Client: providing consistent and exceptional service;</li>
<li>​Sustaining MIT: meeting the needs of the present and future; and</li>
<li>The Collier Medal: engaging with the community in service endeavors, in memory of MIT Police Officer Sean Collier.</li>
</ul>
<p>Resources including award criteria, tips for writing a nomination, FAQs, information about the selection process, and previous award recipients, are available on the <a href="http://hrweb.mit.edu/rewards/excellence" target="_blank">MIT Human Resources website</a>.</p>
<p>Be sure to save the date for the 2018 MIT Excellence Awards and Collier Medal awards ceremony on Tuesday, March 13, 2018 at 3 p.m. in Kresge Auditorium. The entire MIT community is welcome to attend.</p>
<p>If you have any questions, contact Cori Champagne at 617-253-5986 or at <a href="mailto:excellence@mit.edu">excellence@mit.edu</a>.</p>
President L. Rafael Reif (right) congratulates Ruth T. Davis, a 2017 Excellence Award recipient.Photo: Justin KnightHuman Resources, Community, Staff, Faculty, Awards, honors and fellowships, Sean CollierThe test-free zone: An orientation guide to MIT Libraries https://news.mit.edu/2017/mit-a-student-guide-to-libraries-and-resources-0908
Students can find diverse resources, helpful experts, and friendly spaces to hang out.
Fri, 08 Sep 2017 12:35:01 -0400Brigham Fay | MIT Librarieshttps://news.mit.edu/2017/mit-a-student-guide-to-libraries-and-resources-0908<p>The MIT Libraries are here to make life and learning at the Institute a little easier. They provide students with needed resources, subject-area experts who are happy to help, and friendly spaces where enjoying the quiet doesn’t have to mean being alone.</p>
<p>MIT’s five library locations —&nbsp;Barker, Dewey, Hayden, Lewis Music, and Rotch —&nbsp;are interspersed&nbsp;throughout the campus. Students are welcome in all locations, including the Institute Archives and Special Collections, which are&nbsp;home to rare and uniquely MIT items ranging from Doc Edgerton’s notebooks to William Barton Rogers’ letter about founding a new institute of technology.&nbsp;</p>
<p>“We like to think of ourselves as the guides to the whole landscape that people have here,” says Chris&nbsp;Sherratt, the librarian for atmospheric and oceanic sciences, energy and environment, and nuclear science and engineering. “When they [students] come to MIT, they have riches beyond their imagination in all the different subjects that we cover.”</p>
<p>Sherratt is one of 25 subject experts available to support students, faculty, and researchers in advancing their work on every topic&nbsp;from aeronautics to urban studies. Getting to know library staff is a smart move for anyone navigating MIT for the first time. Not only do the staff help students track down the resources they&nbsp;need in their&nbsp;area of study, they offer expert help in organizing and sharing research data and advice on fair use, open access, and other scholarly publishing issues. They can also give guidance on using geographic information systems (GIS), and more.</p>
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<p>“Library staff help but we don’t evaluate students,” says MIT Director of Libraries Chris Bourg. “This makes the libraries places where students can be especially free and comfortable asking questions, seeking help, and experimenting with new ideas.”</p>
<p>This being MIT, the libraries aren’t just places for studying; they’re also places for making. Students can borrow Equipment-To-Go kits, containing everything from heart rate sensors to soldering stations, and soon will be able to compose, mix, and edit music in a planned audio lab. Library staff also have been collaborating with students and faculty on text and data-mining projects, collecting geographic data with drones, and creating an augmented reality experience in the Lewis Music Library.</p>
<p>Sometimes getting support means taking a break. “Om Under the Dome” helps people stay grounded with 30-minute silent meditations every Monday at noon in the Barker Library Reading Room. “Furry First Fridays” are monthly study breaks where students can de-stress with therapy dogs.&nbsp;“MIT Reads” is an Institute-wide reading and discussion program open to anyone in the community. (Anyone interested can join this fall for a closer collective read of <em>Americanah</em> by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.) Novels, graphic novels, DVDs, and streaming music and video are also always on hand for those needing to recharge.</p>
<p>Students ready to get started can find all the information they need&nbsp;at&nbsp;<em>libraries.mit.edu/welcome</em>.&nbsp;</p>
MIT librarian Chris Sherratt works the stacks. She specializes in helping students find information on atmospheric and oceanic sciences, energy and environment, and nuclear science and engineering.Photo: Lillie Paquette/School of EngineeringBooks and authors, Campus services, Libraries, Staff, StudentsFeatured video: 47 years, and still going stronghttps://news.mit.edu/2017/featured-video-47-years-and-still-going-strong-0901
With over four decades of dedicated service to MIT, Peter Hicks has the longest tenure within the Department of Facilities. Fri, 01 Sep 2017 15:20:12 -0400MIT News Officehttps://news.mit.edu/2017/featured-video-47-years-and-still-going-strong-0901<div class="cms-placeholder-content-video"></div>
<p>At age 24, Peter Hicks began his employment here at MIT. Now, with over 47 years of service to the Institute, Hicks has the longest tenure within the Department of Facilities.</p>
<p>Over his time at MIT, Hicks has held a variety of positions — everything from bulb-snatching across campus to his current position collecting and delivering packages for MIT Mail Services. “I just love MIT as a place to work,” says Hicks. “And I hope that anyone else who comes along has the same feelings.”</p>
<p>Hicks is in no rush to slow down. Even now, with almost five decades of work at MIT, he says he has no plans for retirement in sight. “I’m just going to give it day by day and year by year, and see what happens,” he says. “If I’m here longer than I expect, that’ll be good too.”&nbsp;</p>
<p>This Labor Day we honor Hicks, and all those who work hard each day to keep MIT running.</p>
<div class="cms-placeholder-content-video"><em>Video by: Melanie Gonick/MIT News </em>| <em>3 min 20 sec</em></div>
Peter Hicks is currently the longest-serving employee in the MIT Department of Facilities.Photo: M. Scott BrauerCommunity, Facilities, Featured video, StaffFikile Brushett and Florence Wagner named to Chemical and Engineering News “Talented 12”https://news.mit.edu/2017/fikile-brushett-florence-wagner-named-chemical-and-engineering-news-talented-12-0901
MIT affiliates recognized for their innovative approaches to energy storage and drug discovery.Fri, 01 Sep 2017 14:00:01 -0400Melanie Miller Kaufman | Department of Chemical Engineeringhttps://news.mit.edu/2017/fikile-brushett-florence-wagner-named-chemical-and-engineering-news-talented-12-0901<p>Professor Fikile Brushett of the MIT Department of Chemical Engineering and Florence Wagner, institute scientist at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, have been selected as two of 2017's “Talented 12” by <em>Chemical and Engineering News (C&amp;EN),</em> the weekly magazine of the American Chemical Society. Brushett is recognized for his innovative approach to economical and sustainable energy storage and the magazine calls him the “<a href="http://talented12.cenmag.org/fikile-brushett/" target="_blank">Baron of Batteries</a>.” Wagner is the “<a href="http://talented12.cenmag.org/florence-wagner/" target="_blank">Drug Discovery Dynamo</a>,” as her work in targeted psychiatric therapies has shown potential to upend the field of psychiatric drug discovery.</p>
<p>Brushett, the Raymond A. (1921) and Helen E. St. Laurent Career Development Professor of Chemical Engineering, is developing new ways of storing energy from sustainable sources such as wind and sunlight. He is particularly interested in understanding and controlling the fundamental processes that define the performance, cost, and lifetime of present day and next-generation electrochemical systems. His laboratory is presently pursuing research on redox flow batteries for grid storage and on electrochemical upgrading of low-value feedstocks. <a href="http://talented12.cenmag.org/fikile-brushett/" target="_blank">As described by </a><em><a href="http://talented12.cenmag.org/fikile-brushett/" target="_blank">C&amp;EN</a>,</em> “a major focus of his lab is understanding how chemical structure affects the function of redox active molecules, with the goal of expanding the toolbox for engineering batteries. In addition, his lab is developing new electrochemical reactors to improve battery performance.”</p>
<p>Wagner, director of the medicinal chemistry group in the Broad’s Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, focuses on designing and implementing strategies that will enable development of novel therapeutic strategies for central nervous system-related psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, autism, and neurodevelopmental disorders. These strategies include the rational design and development of novel, potent, and highly selective small molecules suitable for clinical development and the development of translatable biomarkers. <a href="http://talented12.cenmag.org/florence-wagner/" target="_blank"><em>C&amp;EN</em> explains</a>, “Recently, Wagner and her colleagues developed molecules that can selectively inhibit each of the two forms of an enzyme called glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK3), a possible target of the bipolar disorder treatment lithium. Previous inhibitors out of industry hit both forms of GSK3 and caused serious side effects in human studies. Wagner and her colleagues showed that selectively inhibiting either of the two forms avoided that toxicity in cells.”</p>
<p>To find its annual Talented 12, <em>C&amp;EN</em> called on a panel of industry advisers, <em>C&amp;EN’s </em>advisory board, and Talented 12 alumni to nominate prospects aged 42 or younger who are pushing the boundaries in their fields. They also accepted nominations from readers through an online form. Finally, they researched and evaluated the more than 150 candidates amassed during this process to zero in on the 12 most "path-paving" individuals.</p>
Images courtesy of Chemical and Engineering News.Awards, honors and fellowships, Faculty, Staff, Chemical engineering, Chemistry, Energy, Broad Institute, School of Engineering, Psychiatric disorders, Drug development, BatteriesPresident Reif to Class of 2021: “We are very lucky to have you!”https://news.mit.edu/2017/freshman-convocation-class-2021-0828
“MIT is a magnificent machine for inventing the future,” Reif tells incoming freshmen.Mon, 28 Aug 2017 16:30:00 -0400David L. Chandler | MIT News Officehttps://news.mit.edu/2017/freshman-convocation-class-2021-0828<p>MIT greeted the incoming Class of 2021 with its annual Convocation in front of Kresge Auditorium, treating them and their parents to personal stories of what it was like to first arrive at MIT, as told by President L. Rafael Reif and three highly accomplished faculty members.</p>
<p>Reif described his own fears when he arrived at this campus, having grown up in Venezuela, not knowing anyone in the area. He worried, among other things, about whether he was good enough to succeed here, whether his English was good enough, and what it would be like to experience snow for the first time. But those fears were quickly erased: “Very soon, MIT became my academic home,” he said, “and this community became my extended family. I hope that you will come to feel that way, too.”</p>
<p>Those initial fears vanished, he said, when “I found that what mattered at MIT was not where you come from or who you know, but what you contribute: good ideas, new perspectives, hard work, and creativity.” MIT, he said, “was the first place where I could stop feeling self-conscious, particularly about what interested me.”</p>
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<p>Those initial worries were echoed by three faculty members who described their own experiences upon arriving here. Kristala Prather, the Arthur D. Little Professor of Chemical Engineering, who earned her bachelor’s degree at MIT, recalled thinking when she arrived on campus and heard of the amazing accomplishments of her fellow students, “how the heck did they let me in?” And, she added, she felt the same way 14 years later when she received her appointment to the MIT faculty.</p>
<p>To those in the incoming class who might feel the same way, she said, “I want to be sure you know, you are here on purpose. … You are ready to take on this place!”</p>
<p>“MIT is a unique crucible, where you will be faced with challenges you didn’t quite expect, at an important time of your life,” she said. “My advice here is quite simple: Embrace failure! If you haven’t already, you’ll soon realize that failures frequently, and I might say usually, allow you to learn far more than your successes.” Failure, she said, “lets you know that your knowledge lacked depth, or your understanding was incomplete, or maybe your expectations were a little unrealistic. Filling in those gaps adds to your knowledge base, and how you go about recovering from those failures will teach you lifelong lessons.”</p>
<p>Prather added that students should seek experiences outside their academic specialties. “You have to have balance, something that allows you to get away from the rigors of academics and enjoy life. … So my advice to you is to have fun, explore, try new things, go new places, meet new people, hang out with friends, just have fun … but not too much fun.”</p>
<p>Martin Culpepper, a professor of mechanical engineering and MIT’s “Maker Czar,” regaled the students with his own experiences of early failure and having fun, such as the time he took apart his dad’s carburetor and found that there were quite a few parts left over when he put it back together and it didn’t work, or when he flooded the basement of his home while trying to fix the washing machine. He learned important lessons from that, he said, such as “what an insurance deductible is, compared to my allowance.”</p>
<p>But these experiences, he explained, really did end up paving his path to MIT. And once he got here, “every day here as a student I got challenged, every day I got to see amazing things that people were doing in their research, and every day here as a student I got to work with my mind and my hands.”</p>
<p>Culpepper added that “over the course of the next few years, you’re going to have tough days.” He gave the example from his first semester, when a professor found out he couldn’t afford to go home for Thanksgiving, and invited him to spend it with his own family. He ended up having a wonderful experience there, having a great meal, driving bulldozers, and talking at length about differential equations. It was a day that could have been really sad for him, he said, but ended up being a fantastic experience.</p>
<p>Sara Seager, the Class of ’41 Professor, a professor of planetary science and of physics, and a leading expert on planets outside the solar system, talked about seeing the total solar eclipse a week ago. She described how that event related to the kind of research she has been carrying out for many years, to detect planets around other stars by observing the dimming of light when a planet passes in from of its star — a kind of miniature eclipse. Seager is a leader of the team that designed TESS, a new NASA mission that will soon observe many nearby stars to watch for such eclipses — called transits — in order to learn much more about the characteristics of those distant planets.</p>
<p>She described how she posed a challenge to a class in the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics to develop a system to control the accurancy of pointing for tiny satellites called cubesats so that they could be steady enough to carry out such observations. The students rose to the challenge, and after some further development, this system was launched two weeks ago by NASA to the International Space Station, where it will soon be deployed into space. That whole experience, she said, “captured the MIT spirit: This bold idea that no matter how crazy, if it’s backed up by physics, it’s worth developing.” Where others might dismiss an idea as crazy, at MIT the attitude is “‘Yes, let’s give it a try,’” she said.</p>
<p>As Reif summarized to the incoming freshman class, “Every one of you has what it takes to succeed here. … And I hope you will join us in facing the challenge of building a better MIT, and building a better world. Humanity is facing no shortage of serious challenges: climate, energy, disease, poverty. And MIT is a magnificent human machine for inventing the future. But MIT invents the future thanks to its students.”</p>
<p>Reif concluded by thanking the incoming students for the choice they made: “We are very lucky to have you. All of you had other options, and I am delighted and grateful that you chose MIT. You will receive a great education here, and all of us together will make a better world.”</p>
“I found that what mattered at MIT was not where you come from or who you know, but what you contribute: Good ideas, new perspectives, hard work, and creativity,” said MIT President L. Rafael Reif at the 2017 Convocation. MIT, he said, “was the first place where I could stop feeling self-conscious, particularly about what interested me.” Photo: Jake BelcherStudents, Undergraduate, Faculty, Staff, Administration, Special events and guest speakers, CommunityLetter to the community regarding the recent events in Charlottesville, Virginiahttps://news.mit.edu/2017/letter-community-regarding-events-charlottesville-virginia-0815
Tue, 15 Aug 2017 11:00:00 -0400MIT News Officehttps://news.mit.edu/2017/letter-community-regarding-events-charlottesville-virginia-0815<p><em>The following email was sent today to the MIT community by President L. Rafael Reif.</em></p>
<p>To the members of the MIT community,</p>
<p>History teaches us that human beings are capable of evil. When we see it, we must call it what it is, repudiate it and reject it.</p>
<p>This weekend in Charlottesville, Virginia, we witnessed a strand of hatred. White supremacy and anti-Semitism, whether embodied by neo-Nazis, the Ku Klux Klan or others, are bankrupt ideologies with a wicked aim as plain as our need to repel it.</p>
<p>The United States must remain a country of freedom, tolerance and liberty for all. To keep that promise, it must always remain a place where those who hold radically opposing views can voice them. However, when an ideology contends that some people are less human than others, and when that ideology commands violence in the name of racial purity, we must reject that ideology as evil.</p>
<p>I write to you this morning because I believe that the events of this weekend embody a threat of direct concern to our community.</p>
<p>A great glory of the United States is the enduring institutions and ideals of our civil society. The independent judiciary. The free press. The universities. Free speech. The rule of law. The belief that we are all created equal. Each one reinforces and draws strength from the others. When those pillars come under attack, society is endangered. I believe we all have a responsibility to protect them—with a sense of profound gratitude for the freedoms they guarantee.</p>
<p>At MIT, let us with one voice reject hatred—whatever its form. Let us unite in mourning those who lost their lives to this struggle in Charlottesville. And let us work for goodwill among us all.</p>
<p>Sincerely,</p>
<p>L. Rafael Reif</p>
Letters to the Community, President L. Rafael Reif, Community, Students, Staff, FacultyThree MIT scientists honored with John Dawson Award for Excellence in Plasma Physics Researchhttps://news.mit.edu/2017/mit-psfc-scientists-petrasso-li-seguin-win-john-dawson-award-plasma-physics-research-0802
Plasma Science and Fusion Center researchers Petrasso, Seguin, and Li honored for developing a novel radiography technique.Wed, 02 Aug 2017 12:00:01 -0400Paul Rivenberg | Plasma Science and Fusion Centerhttps://news.mit.edu/2017/mit-psfc-scientists-petrasso-li-seguin-win-john-dawson-award-plasma-physics-research-0802<p>Three members of MIT's Plasma Science and Fusion Center (PSFC) High-Energy-Density Physics Division have been honored with the American Physical Society’s John Dawson Award for Excellence in Plasma Physics Research. Division head and Senior Research Scientist Richard Petrasso, Senior Research Scientist Chikang Li, and Research Scientist Fredrick Seguin were selected, along with three colleagues from other laboratories, to share the award for “the pioneering use of proton radiography to reveal new aspects of flows, instabilities, and fields in high-energy-density (HED) plasmas.”</p>
<p>The three PSFC researchers study the physics of inertial confinement fusion (ICF) plasmas and HED plasmas, collaborating with laser facilities like OMEGA at the Laboratory for Laser Energetics (LLE) and the National Ignition Facility at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). Because these plasmas occur on such short time-scales they are challenging to evaluate. To help probe and examine the condition and evolution of these plasmas, and other phenomena, the PSFC team has developed what Petrasso calls a “multiple-monoenergetic-particle source (MMPS).”</p>
<p>“The MMPS is a backlighter, which allows us to irradiate experiments in order to better understand plasma structure and evolution,” says Petrasso. “It is especially useful for looking at plasma phenomena that happen on the order of a nanosecond or so. That phenomenon could be an ICF implosion, magnetic reconnection, or a lab astro experiment.”</p>
<p>Co-recipient Chikang Li, who used the MMPS for his recent exploration of the Crab Nebula in the constellation Taurus, expressed his pleasure that the community recognizes the importance of their work and contributions to the field. “I am even more glad that, as already indicated by numerous publications, this technique provides a unique and powerful diagnostic for the HED community,” Li says.</p>
<p>Petrasso credits LLE, LLNL, and other collaborators for their support and involvement with PSFC research, as well as the National Nuclear Security Administration of the Department of Energy, which has funded much of their work since the early 1990s. “Even though the three of us have been singled out, it really has been a broad effort, and very importantly one in which our students have been able to capitalize.” Two recent MIT graduates, Mario Manuel SM '08 PhD '13 and Mike Rosenberg PhD '14 received the American Physical Society Rosenbluth Outstanding Doctoral Thesis Award in <a href="http://www.psfc.mit.edu/news/2014/american-physical-society-honors-psfc-graduate-and-professor" target="_blank">2014</a> and <a href="http://www.psfc.mit.edu/news/2016/mike-rosenberg-wins-rosenbluth-award" target="_blank">2016</a>, respectively, for research that employed the MMPS. Alex Zylstra PhD '15 has been nominated for the 2017 award for a thesis that also uses this technology.</p>
<p>“The PSFC has been a wonderful place, with great infrastructure to support this work,” notes Petrasso. “We are always trying to push the frontiers, and finding exciting opportunities for our students. Our success is measured by the impact our students make in the outside community. And trust me, they are having a big impact.”</p>
Left to right: Chikang Li, Richard Petrasso and Fredrick Seguin perform research in the MIT Plasma Science and Fusion Center's High-Energy-Density Physics Accelerator Facility, which develops and characterizes nuclear diagnostics for inertial fusion facilities across the country. Petrasso notes, "This lab is important in training undergrads and grads. It allows them to build and develop an array of diagnostics and different platforms."Photo: Paul Rivenberg/PSFCAwards, honors and fellowships, Staff, Physics, Fusion, Plasma Science and Fusion CenterDivision of Student Life introduces statement on diversity and inclusionhttps://news.mit.edu/2017/division-student-life-introduces-diversity-and-inclusion-statement-0801
Statement is intended to inform and guide staff on issues related to diversity and inclusion.Tue, 01 Aug 2017 15:00:01 -0400Isabella Dionne | Division of Student Lifehttps://news.mit.edu/2017/division-student-life-introduces-diversity-and-inclusion-statement-0801<p>The MIT Division of Student Life (DSL) Staff Engagement Advisory Board (SEAboard) has introduced a statement intended to inform and guide staff on issues related to diversity and inclusion. The statement reads:</p>
<p>Our mission, as a division that is here for students, is to attract, hire, and retain talented staff members who represent the diversity of the MIT student body. We strive to provide all DSL staff members with the skills, tools, and support to create and maintain a respectful and responsive environment for living, teaching, and learning. We achieve this by:</p>
<ul>
<li>creating a climate of inclusion that reflects our division’s values and promotes an open exchange of ideas where each voice is heard;</li>
<li>advancing DSL’s policies, practices, and programming for diversity, inclusion, and equity;</li>
<li>promoting DSL staff equality of access, opportunity, representation, and participation within the division and beyond; and</li>
<li>enhancing the awareness, knowledge, and skills of MIT community members through our work across campus.</li>
</ul>
<p>The statement was inspired by <a href="http://recommendations.mit.edu/" target="_blank">recommendations made in 2015</a> by MIT’s Black Students Union on how to make MIT more diverse and inclusive. Suzy Nelson, vice president and dean for student life, suggested that SEABoard’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee consider how the recommendations could be applied to DSL. “The recommendations provide us with a roadmap for how we can improve our campus and how we can make our campus more welcoming and affirming for all,” Nelson said. “Because DSL has a strong hand in shaping the student experience, we need to be mindful of these recommendations and work to operationalize them.”&nbsp;</p>
<p>Twelve volunteers to the Diversity and Inclusion Committee came from across DSL’s many disciplines&nbsp;and met in November 2016 with the goals of making the division a better place to work, and better for minority students. “When we came together for our first meeting, we talked about why folks were interested,” explained Libby Mahaffy, assistant director for conflict management and co-chair of the committee. “A lot of them said, ‘I wanted to do something that matters; that has impact.’” The committee was also co-chaired by Gerardo Garcia-Rios, assistant dean and interim co-director of student support services, and Lauren Haynie, former special assistant to the athletic director (who left MIT for a new position in June).</p>
<p>Before taking specific steps, the committee decided first to develop a statement on diversity and inclusion in DSL that would frame future discussions and work. They sought guidance and feedback on elements of a statement from students, staff, and faculty through a variety of channels, including email, webforms, and word of mouth. “It was a very robust feedback process,” said Mahaffy. “It really felt great that folks were thinking about it and talking about it.”</p>
<p>While the statement was written for DSL, the committee believes there will be community-wide impact. “When folks are happier at work, they’re happier with the students that they work with,” said Mahaffy. “It makes a difference for you to feel like you belong somewhere, because then you’ll treat others with that same kind of respect and belonging.”</p>
<p>“In a lot of ways, it’s aspirational,” added Rios. “It represents kind of what could be the best of DSL. We may not necessarily be there now, but it gives us a template for the future.”</p>
Photo: Christopher HartingStudent life, Diversity and inclusion, Staff, Community, AdministrationMIT Haystack Observatory&#039;s John Foster named AGU Fellowhttps://news.mit.edu/2017/mit-haystack-observatory-john-foster-named-agu-fellow-0728
Distinguished atmospheric scientist recognized for lifetime of accomplishments.Fri, 28 Jul 2017 17:35:01 -0400Haystack Observatoryhttps://news.mit.edu/2017/mit-haystack-observatory-john-foster-named-agu-fellow-0728<p>John C. Foster, principal research scientist at MIT's Haystack Observatory, has been awarded AGU Fellow status from the American Geophysical Union for 2017. The AGU elects a small group of members to become fellows each year in honor of their scientific leadership and research excellence. Recipients are AGU members who have fundamentally advanced research in their fields of geophysics.</p>
<p>"AGU Fellows are recognized for their scientific eminence in the Earth and space sciences. Their breadth of interests and the scope of their contributions are remarkable and often groundbreaking," the <a href="https://eos.org/agu-news/2017-class-of-agu-fellows-announced" target="_blank">announcement</a> read. "They have expanded our understanding of the Earth and space sciences, from volcanic processes, solar cycles, and deep-sea microbiology to the variability of our climate and so much more. Only 0.1 percent of AGU membership receives this recognition in any given year."</p>
<p>A group of space science colleagues nominated Foster for this award, citing his visionary leadership in space physics research, including transformative insights and work in magnetosphere-plasmasphere-ionosphere coupling, ionospheric storm response, and radiation belt dynamics. A large portion of Foster’s research has been done with ground and space-based observational techniques, including incoherent scatter radar and satellite-borne instruments, using these powerful tools for investigations of the physics of the upper atmosphere and Earth's highly energetic radiation belts. He is an expert in the analysis of data from ionospheric radars at Haystack's Millstone Hill and other facilities. Foster also has been extensively involved in international scientific collaboration with colleagues in China, Ukraine, and Russia.</p>
<p>"John’s excellence and sharp observational eye continues to lead the field in applications of multiple observational points of view from both ground and space remote sensors, creating new insights on the workings of the complicated Sun-Earth system and its dynamics," says Phil Erickson, assistant director at Haystack Observatory. "He is truly outstanding at seeing connections in phenomena that have previously been studied only in isolation."</p>
<p>Broad interests in space science continue today to lead Foster towards innovative and far reaching insights within the vitally important study of cross-scale and cross-disciplinary coupling processes in Earth’s near-space environment. He is an innovator in the application of high-power ionospheric radar systems to the study of plasmas and instabilities in the terrestrial mid-latitude ionosphere.</p>
<p>Foster’s work has taken place across multiple institutions in a career that has lasted more than four decades. After receiving his PhD in physics from the University of Maryland at College Park in 1973, he worked at a number of institutions, including the National Research Council of Canada and Utah State University. In 1983, former Haystack director John Evans recruited Foster to lead its internationally known atmospheric science program. He led this group for more than 30 years, maintaining and significantly growing the scientific and technical staff throughout this time period. He was appointed assistant director of Haystack in 1983 and promoted to principal research scientist in 1988, achieving associate Haystack director status in 1995. Throughout his career, Foster has dedicated much time and effort to mentoring a large number of younger space scientists.</p>
<p>Even beyond this large body of prior work, Foster continues his extensive publication record and a brisk collaboratory pace of fundamental and unique discoveries in space science. His most recent work using data from the twin <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/van-allen-probes" target="_blank">NASA Van Allen Probes spacecraft</a> was <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/2016JA023429/full" target="_blank">published earlier this year</a> in the AGU's <em>Journal of Geophysical Research Space Physics</em>. The study provides an example of Foster’s innovative observational approach, as he and several colleagues analyzed the nonlinear interactions of ultrarelativistic electrons and very low frequency waves to advance understanding of rapid variations in Earth's outer radiation belt.</p>
John Foster is a senior research scientist at the Haystack Observatory.Photo: Nancy Wolfe KotaryAwards, honors and fellowships, Staff, Haystack Observatory, Physics, Earth and atmospheric sciences, Space, astronomy and planetary scienceNew fund makes MIT a living sustainability lab https://news.mit.edu/2017/mit-new-fund-allows-sustainability-researchers-use-campus-living-lab-0721
MIT Office of Sustainability announces awards to multi-departmental projects that test management, design, and operations solutions on campus. Fri, 21 Jul 2017 15:50:01 -0400Frankie Schembri | Office of Sustainabilityhttps://news.mit.edu/2017/mit-new-fund-allows-sustainability-researchers-use-campus-living-lab-0721<p>The MIT Office of Sustainability (MITOS) has announced the recipients of the first-ever Campus Sustainability Incubator Fund, with $200,000 awarded between four multi-departmental projects, all of which use the MIT campus as a test bed for research in sustainable operations, management, and design.</p>
<p>The four project teams are lead by Kripa Varanasi of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Randy Kirchain and Jeremy Gregory of the Concrete Sustainability Hub, Lisa Anderson of the Department of Chemical Engineering, and Danielle Dahan of the Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research.</p>
<p>“The seed funds will enable researchers to explore the physical facility and social context in which they are working, living and learning,” says Julie Newman, MITOS director and convener of the fund’s Advisory Committee. Newman calls the MIT campus&nbsp;a “rich environment for creating and testing sustainability solutions” at both the individual and building level to ensure they work at a city and global scale.</p>
<p>The selection committee included members from the Department of Architecture, the Environmental Solutions Initiative, the Sandbox Innovation Fund Program, the Department of Mechanical Engineering, the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, and the MIT Sloan School of Management, among others. To be considered for funding, project teams needed to have student, faculty, and staff membership,&nbsp;a robust methodology for measuring outcomes, and a timeline for moving the needle&nbsp;on a measurable on-campus metric.</p>
<p>“We were looking for projects that take advantage of the interactions unique to MIT while making a measurable impact on how our campus runs day to day — those that foster collaborations between diverse stakeholders, including junior researchers, and bridge between MIT’s academic and operational departments,” Newman says.</p>
<p><strong>Water recapture at MIT’s power plant </strong></p>
<p>Department of Mechanical Engineering Associate Professor Kripa Varanasi is receiving funding to test a water recapture device developed by&nbsp;his research group,&nbsp;installing it on the MIT Central Utilities Plant (CUP) cooling towers. Varanasi and his graduate students, Maher Damak and Karim Khalil<strong>, </strong>are collaborating with plant engineers Patrick Karalekas and Seth Kinderman&nbsp;and plant manager Jon Sepich at the CUP.</p>
<p>“Power plants consume a large portion of the water used on campus and around the world,” says Varanasi. “Testing our device at the CUP provides us with an invaluable pilot opportunity to scale-up, debug, and de-risk the technology before launching the product to the broader power plant industry.”</p>
<p>The Varanasi research group has developed a technology that uses electric fields to force escaping steam plumes from power plant towers into a device placed atop the cooling tower outlets. The device captures the water and reintroduces it&nbsp;back into the cooling cycle,&nbsp;reducing water losses for the plant.</p>
<p>The team will install their lab-scale prototype on the cooling towers of the CUP to test the device for efficiency and durability, and to optimize its performance. The researchers estimate that their device can save 15 million gallons of water per year, reducing MIT’s operational costs for the CUP.</p>
<p>“The team at the CUP is excited to have this opportunity to work with the academic community and contribute to MIT’s mission,” plant manager Sepich says. “If we can help Professor Varanasi and his team be successful, then this will not only have a positive environmental and economic impact on the CUP’s operation but on the power industry as a whole. We see the CUP as a valuable testing ground for energy and resource conservation measures, and we hope this is the first of many such endeavors.”</p>
<p><strong>Modeling the environmental impact of buildings at MIT </strong></p>
<p>Two research scientists in the MIT Concrete Sustainability Hub, Jeremy Gregory and Randy Kirchain, are receiving funding to implement a quantitative approach to evaluating&nbsp;the life cycle economic and environmental impacts of proposed new buildings on campus.</p>
<p>While life cycle assessments are already conducted at MIT to calculate buildings’ environmental impacts during the design phase, Gregory’s research team has developed a new method that can be implemented earlier in building design and planning stages than current analyses. It can be used to quantify both embodied impacts (building materials and construction) and operational impacts (energy consumption), mitigating the environmental and economic impacts of new construction projects on campus.</p>
<p>“We are excited to have the opportunity to implement our research in MIT’s building design process in order to improve our approach and reduce the life cycle environmental and economic footprint of MIT’s campus,” Gregory says.</p>
<p>The project team includes three members of the Department of Facilities: Director of Campus Construction Richard Amster, Director of Systems Performance and Turnover Wade Berner, and Sustainability Project Manager Randa Ghattas.</p>
<p><strong>Evaluating the benefits of recycling laboratory gloves</strong></p>
<p>The third recipient is Lisa Anderson, a research scientist in the Department of Chemical Engineering. Anderson&nbsp;will use her funding to investigate the net environmental benefit of recycling laboratory gloves and to explore the feasibility of expanding a pilot program launched by the department through MIT Green Labs last year.</p>
<p>During the six-month pilot program, participants collected more than 400 pounds of lab gloves from about 30 researchers in 10 labs. The team plans to study the feasibility of rolling out a larger glove recycling program at MIT, contingent on the results of a detailed analysis the team will conduct to compare the benefits of material recovery with the burden of the glove recycling process. If there is a net environmental benefit to glove recycling, Anderson hopes to help establish an Institute-wide program.</p>
<p>“Everyday when I walk into the lab, I ask myself: How do I balance research with sustainability?” Anderson says. “I think about all the resources that go into making scientific discoveries and pushing new technologies forward. Over half of a research grant can go towards overhead, such as paying for heating and cooling, that many researchers take for granted. I’m trying to bring sustainable practices into the research lab by repurposing a common consumable, uncontaminated lab gloves.”</p>
<p>Anderson will collaborate with chemical engineering graduate students Thomas Carney and Kosi Aroh, Department of Facilities Recycling Manager Ruth Davis, faculty and researchers from the Departments of Materials Science and Engineering and Civil and Environmental Engineering, as well as several members of MIT’s Environmental Health and&nbsp;Safety Office and Green Labs program.</p>
<p><strong>Eliminating wasted energy with machine learning</strong></p>
<p>Danielle Dahan, a graduate research assistant at the Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research, is receiving funding to collaborate with Professor Christopher Knittel of MIT Sloan, Wade Berner of MIT Facilities, and undergraduate Manuel Mundo to investigate the effectiveness of the fault detection and diagnostic (FDD) software used by MIT and other universities&nbsp;to prevent energy waste in HVAC systems.</p>
<p>For several years, MIT’s FDD system has been collecting data on over 70 campus buildings, alerting staff when an energy-wasting fault&nbsp;is detected. Dahan will apply machine learning and data analysis techniques to this data in order to understand the actual energy savings associated with correcting different types of system faults. The project will aid MIT Facilities in determining which faults to prioritize and help inform a cost-benefit analysis of installing FDD systems in more campus buildings.</p>
<p>“FDD systems have the potential to detect problems in HVAC systems that go unnoticed for years, wasting significant amounts of energy,” Dahan says. “This research allows us to quantify the impact of these systems and help inform policy and code requirements that promote the adoption of energy saving technologies.”</p>
<p><strong>Expanding the living laboratory </strong></p>
<p>The fund was made possible through a gift from Malcom M. Strandberg, a software engineer and supporter of sustainable technology who is inspired by his late father, longtime MIT Physics Professor Malcom W.P. “Woody” Strandberg PhD ’48. Strandberg&nbsp;has directed other parts of his gift to MIT’s D-Lab, to the MIT Office of Engineering Outreach’s STEM program, and to sustainability projects at the Priscilla King Gray Public Service Center.</p>
<p>Using the campus as a living laboratory to test sustainability solutions is one of the central tenets of MITOS. The winning projects also align with the recommendations of MIT’s Sustainability Working Groups for&nbsp;on-campus sustainability priority areas: building design and construction, stormwater and land management, materials management, and green labs.</p>
<p>“Traditional laboratories are highly-controlled environments. The living laboratory, however, thrives on open systems, uncertainties, and diversity, but is still a place for robust science with detailed data collection and measurable outcomes,” says Paul Wolff, the Living Lab project manager at MITOS. “The campus becomes a rich environment for learning and discovery under this framework, and we hope to enable more projects to take advantage of this.”</p>
<p>The next round of applications for funding will open in 2018. For more updates and information please visit&nbsp;the <a href="http://sustainability.mit.edu/campus-sustainability-incubator-fund">Campus Sustainability Incubator Fund</a>&nbsp;online.</p>
The Varanasi research group visits the MIT Central Utilities Plant cooling towers, where they will test their water-recapture technology with support from the new Campus Sustainability Incubator Fund. Photo: Paul Wolff/MITOSAwards, honors and fellowships, Campus buildings and architecture, Civil and environmental engineering, Climate change, D-Lab, DMSE, Environment, Faculty, Grants, Funding, Machine learning, Staff, Sustainability, Facilities, Collaboration, Research3Q: Update on MIT staff member facing deportationhttps://news.mit.edu/2017/3q-update-mit-staff-member-facing-deportation-0717
MIT is working with attorneys on behalf of Francisco Rodriguez.Mon, 17 Jul 2017 10:00:00 -0400MIT News Officehttps://news.mit.edu/2017/3q-update-mit-staff-member-facing-deportation-0717<p>On Thursday, July 13, MIT custodian Francisco Rodriguez was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Rodriguez — a father of two whose wife will soon deliver their third child — has been working at MIT for five years. The <em>Boston Globe</em> reports that he left his home country of El Salvador fearing for his life after the murder of a colleague. Rodriguez applied for asylum in the U.S. and, although the application was denied, he has been granted yearly stays of removal and permits authorizing him to work in the U.S.</p>
<p>While ICE continues to have discretion in granting further stays of his removal order, Rodriguez was told last month that he would need to leave the country. Many at MIT and beyond voiced their opposition, through rallies organized by the union 32BJ SEIU, a petition signed by more than a thousand members of the MIT community, and a letter from Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey and Congressman Mike Capuano. Despite these efforts, Rodiguez has been taken into custody and could be deported at any time.</p>
<p>To learn more about MIT’s efforts to help Rodriguez stay with his family in the U.S., <em>MIT News</em> spoke with Vice President and General Counsel Mark DiVincenzo, who has led the Institute’s response, and Israel Ruiz, executive vice president and treasurer, who oversees the Institute’s facilities and human resources departments.</p>
<p><strong>Q:</strong> What is MIT doing to help?</p>
<p><strong>DiVincenzo: </strong>Many people in the MIT community share the sense that Francisco deserves our support in his request to stay in this country so he can continue to look after his family; indeed, more than 1,000 community members — students, faculty, staff, and alumni — signed a petition on Francisco’s behalf.</p>
<p>We first became aware in early June that Francisco was denied an extension of his stay of removal, leading to the real possibility that he would be deported. President Reif strongly urged me, and the entire MIT senior administration, to find ways to help. While I can’t represent Francisco personally, I’ve met with him and his immigration attorney, and MIT has marshalled resources from offices across campus, including Human Resources, Facilities, and Israel’s office, as well as my own. In coordination with Francisco and his attorney, we have written letters to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement office and taken other action to assist, including securing a prominent Boston law firm to join his legal team, <em>pro bono</em>.</p>
<p>We also welcome the efforts of Francisco’s union — 32BJ SEIU — to rally wider community understanding and concern. This past Tuesday, Director of Campus Services and Chief of Police John DiFava spoke at a rally on our campus organized by the SEIU, as did MIT Undergraduate Association representative Ashti Shah ’20 and one of Francisco’s coworkers. Chief DiFava also requested a personal meeting with ICE.</p>
<p>With the news of Francisco’s detention last Thursday [July 13], Goodwin, the law firm we arranged to help in this cause, filed a lawsuit on Francisco’s behalf against the U.S. government seeking an emergency order to stop the deportation. There will be a hearing on Monday, July 17, and a letter sent by MIT’s Executive Vice President and Treasurer [Israel Ruiz] is part of the record before the court. I, and others at MIT, hope to attend the hearing and I will continue to work with Francisco’s team to explore other options for MIT to help his case.</p>
<p>Needless to say, this is an extremely disheartening situation. When I see how hard Francisco’s colleagues in the Facilities Department are working to help him and his family, and how many others from across MIT have been inspired to reach out, it makes me very proud to belong to the MIT community. This is what we mean when we say “One MIT.”</p>
<p><strong>Q:</strong> Why is MIT getting involved in this case?</p>
<p><strong>Ruiz:</strong> At MIT, we have a big, demanding mission: to make a better world through education, research, and innovation. Our ability to achieve that mission depends on each of us, and all of us. Francisco has been a positive, rock-solid member of our community for years. Standing with him in this case is just the obvious right thing to do.</p>
<p>We also welcome and embrace the diversity of life experiences and perspectives at MIT. Our employees, students, and faculty come from all over the world, and there are many individuals here on a path to citizenship. Some, like Francisco’s children, are Americans but anxious about their own parents or other loved ones who may be targeted for deportation. Our international students are generally anxious about the uncertain immigration environment. We stand with all of them, and we are grateful for all that they bring to our MIT family.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Certainly, reasonable people can disagree on our nation’s immigration policy. But standing with Francisco isn’t about politics or Washington. It’s about seeking fair treatment for an upstanding individual who is the breadwinner for a young family, works at MIT, and has his own business, and who has consistently proven his value to MIT and to his home community in Chelsea.</p>
<p>I hope those who may disagree on policy points can take a moment to consider the whole picture, because it includes many factors in Francisco’s favor. Put simply: Those who know Francisco best personally attest to his work ethic and character. He has been an excellent employee, even earning a promotion in the past five years. Because he is legally authorized to work, he pays taxes on his earnings. And he continues to be responsible for the well-being of two young children, both of them American citizens, as well as for his pregnant wife.</p>
<p>The government has considerable discretion in a case like this. Federal officials have decided in favor of fairness and compassion in Francisco’s case for years, precisely because of his character and his conscientiousness in working with them. We believe he deserves the same treatment now, more than ever.</p>
<p>The MIT community also exists among the broader society. So what kind of society do we want to live in? I believe the answer is one where a hard-working individual such as Francisco — committed to his family, active in his local community, and loving this country, as he attested to just yesterday — is treated justly and allowed to stay and seek citizenship.</p>
<p><strong>Q:</strong> How can I stay informed about members of the MIT community who may need help? How can I get help if I need it?</p>
<p><strong>Ruiz:</strong> As you would guess, to protect the privacy of community members, I can’t talk specifically about individuals. However, there are certainly ways for affected individuals to get the answers they need. And MIT is actively monitoring issues in this area, so we can respond effectively. Specifically:</p>
<p>MIT’s international students, postdocs, and researchers can contact the <a href="http://web.mit.edu/iso/">International Students Office</a> and the <a href="http://web.mit.edu/scholars/">International Scholars Office</a> for immediate assistance. These offices also provide international <a href="http://web.mit.edu/iso/immigration/imm_updates.shtml">students</a> and <a href="http://web.mit.edu/scholars/news/index.html#immigrationupdates">scholars</a> with regular immigration updates.</p>
<p>Chancellor Barnhart has also charged a <a href="https://chancellor.mit.edu/monitoring-student-access-issues">working group</a>, led by Professor Chris Capozzola, to examine and discuss potential changes to federal law and policy, including immigration policies that have the potential to limit students’ access to MIT or their ability to thrive here.</p>
Photo: Christopher Harting/AboveSummitAdministration, Staff, Community, Policy, International relations, Facilities3 Questions: The future of the electric utilityhttps://news.mit.edu/2017/mit-3-questions-francis-o-sullivan-future-of-electric-utilities-0714
MIT Energy Initiative Director of Research Francis O’Sullivan reflects on current trends in the utility industry, as well as potential solutions to current challenges.Fri, 14 Jul 2017 16:15:01 -0400Francesca McCaffrey | MIT Energy Initiativehttps://news.mit.edu/2017/mit-3-questions-francis-o-sullivan-future-of-electric-utilities-0714<p><em>Francis O’Sullivan, director of research for&nbsp;the MIT Energy Initiative (MITEI), recently led discussions about&nbsp;the future of the electric grid and clean energy technologies with leaders in industry, government, and academia at MITEI’s Associate Member Symposium. In the wake of the symposium, O’Sullivan reflects on several of its main themes: current trends in the industry, changes in customer behavior, and innovative&nbsp;potential responses to the challenges facing the utility industry today.</em></p>
<p><strong>Q: </strong>There’s been a lot of talk about three current megatrends&nbsp;in energy: decentralization, digitalization, and decarbonization. Can you address briefly what each of these entails, and what’s driving this movement?</p>
<p><strong>A: </strong>These three megatrends are deeply connected. First, broadly, people appreciate that decarbonization is critical if we are to address climate change in a meaningful way, and electricity is the sector that can be decarbonized most rapidly. Today, ever-improving economics are driving a secular expansion in the use of clean energy technologies, particularly wind and solar for power generation. Solar is especially important, because as a technology, it’s unique. It can be effectively deployed at any scale, which adds flexibility to how power systems can be designed. It also provides end users with a new option for meeting their individual energy needs. People can choose solar on an individual, house-to-house basis.</p>
<p>In this way, decarbonization is connected to decentralization. It’s not just individual households driving decentralization, either — in fact, commercial and industry users are now in the vanguard of distributed energy adoption. The ambition is to realize a future energy system that is cleaner, more decentralized, and has lower operating costs and higher resiliency.</p>
<p>This is where digitalization comes in. Having these new assets connected to the system is one thing, but you need to be able to control and coordinate them in real time if their efficiency and resiliency potential is to be fully realized.</p>
<p><strong>Q: </strong>How do you see electricity customers’ behavior changing, and what does this mean for utilities?</p>
<p><strong>A: </strong>Historically, consumers had very little choice in how they got their electricity. Then, starting in the ’90s, the restructuring of the energy industry and the introduction of retail choice meant that consumers gained the ability to choose from whom they bought their electricity. However, the modes of generation were still traditional ones. Today’s improved technology means people have much more choice now in terms of not just who supplies their power, but also how it is generated. There’s a subset of the public that actively seeks that greater choice. They’re interested in the environmental impact of their energy decisions. Cost-effectiveness and added resiliency are also important drivers behind this desire for greater diversity in energy services.</p>
<p>For the first time we now have avenues for offering electricity customers more choice. Utilities are responding to the fact that consumers want more bespoke solutions. The adoption of smart energy devices like Nest, for example, are indicative of this larger movement towards greater transparency and customer empowerment.</p>
<p><strong>Q: </strong>What kind of infrastructure challenges are utilities facing now, and what kinds of emerging technologies are needed to help overcome them?</p>
<p><strong>A: </strong>The age of a utility’s infrastructure and the rate of demand growth across the region it covers are normal stresses that are going to affect any system over the years. More salient at this moment in time is the need to put in place the digital infrastructure that will support the effective integration of today’s new generation and storage technologies onto the grid. In addition to offering a pathway to greater resiliency and environmental benefits, a more digitized system has the potential to unlock new commercial value and improve overall welfare if it is used to communicate more accurate price signals for services up and down the electricity value chain that are more highly resolved spatially and temporally.</p>
<p>There’s pressure on utilities to make these infrastructure improvements, but there’s also a tension with regulators who must ensure that these investments are just and reasonable&nbsp;and for the broad benefit of ratepayers. The truth is, though, that we need this new digitized infrastructure if we wish to fully realize the technical and indeed economic benefits that the power sector’s newly expanded technology toolbox can offer.</p>
MIT Energy Initiative Director of Research Francis O'Sullivan is pondering decarbonization, decentralization, and the smart electric grid of the future.Photo: Dominick ReuterMIT Energy Initiative, Alternative energy, Carbon dioxide, Climate change, Energy, Energy storage, Global Warming, Emissions, Renewable energy, Research, Solar, Economics, 3 Questions, StaffFelice Frankel: Creating images to explain science conceptshttps://news.mit.edu/2017/felice-frankel-creating-images-explain-science-concepts-0714
MIT researcher helps scientists and engineers hone their visual imagery.Thu, 13 Jul 2017 23:59:59 -0400David L. Chandler | MIT News Officehttps://news.mit.edu/2017/felice-frankel-creating-images-explain-science-concepts-0714<p>Producing images powerful enough to be selected for the covers of major research journals is nothing new for Felice Frankel: She’s being doing it for decades with great success. But now, she’s extending that approach, using a growing arsenal of visual tools and techniques as she works with scientists and engineers to develop imagery that illustrates their concepts.</p>
<p>Frankel, a research scientist in MIT’s Center for Materials Science and Engineering, has helped to produce images that in the last few months have graced the covers of <em>Nature</em>, <em>Nature Materials</em>, and <em>Environmental Science</em>, among others. Some of her work is also featured in the exhibit “Images of Discovery: Communicating science through photography,” running at the MIT Museum through this August.</p>
<p>Frankel started her career in science and then turned to photographing architecture and landscapes, publishing a few books along the way. She started working with MIT scientists to improve their visual communications back in the ’90s. She’s been expanding her work ever since, both developing new ways of communicating ideas visually and teaching techniques for doing so.</p>
<p>Her latest work has involved combining a variety of photographic images into photo-illustrations that help to explain a process better than individual photos could. The latest journal covers have been examples of this approach. “I take pieces of photos I’ve already made and put them together as an illustration,” she says.</p>
<p>The cover image she created for the April 20 issue of <em>Nature</em> is a perfect example of this process. The research being illustrated involved using graphene as a kind of “copy machine” for nanopatterned thin sheets, for electronics applications. Instead of using just photographic images of the patterned surfaces, which wouldn’t have conveyed much information about the process, or a stand-alone diagram that wouldn’t have seemed as real, she combined the two elements into a single illustration.</p>
<p>It took many steps to produce the image elements and combine them effectively, but the result is a montage that clearly embodies the key elements of the process: the graphene surface and the thin sheets picking up patterns from that surface, one after another. And by mimicking the appearance of a copying machine with copies flying off from it, the final image conveys the active process of cranking out many identical copies from a single surface.</p>
<p>The process of creating the image involved many discussions and iterations among Frankel, the researcher, and the creative director at <em>Nature</em>, she recalls. The creative director “saw the potential” even from early sketches of the proposed design, Frankel says, and helped to refine the design into something that both the researcher and the journal’s editors could agree on.</p>
<p>“Every situation is different,” Frankel says. But the common thread is “helping to bring attention to important work,” by creating images that combine important concepts with an eye-catching design that can attract readers who might otherwise have overlooked the paper or related news coverage. She says the heads of several MIT departments have been encouraging their younger researchers to seek out her assistance, to help them gain attention for their work while their careers are getting off the ground.</p>
<p>“I first collaborated with Felice as a junior faculty member, and some of the core images that she worked on with us ended up being cover articles with meaningful impact over the years,” says Paula Hammond, the David H. Koch Professor of Engineering and head of the Department of Chemical Engineering. “I have encouraged my own research group members, and now faculty members and the students and postdocs in our department, to take part in the workshops and courses that she offers to teach others about the key issues of communicating science through images.”</p>
<p>Frankel “is one of the hidden jewels at MIT,” says Anette “Peko” Hosoi, a professor and associate department head of mechanical engineering. “She has a deep understanding of the importance of visual communication and a true talent for bringing scientific concepts to life. I constantly call on her for advice, and she has fundamentally changed the way I think about my research.”</p>
<p>Another example of Frankel’s recent work, which also involved combining multiple photos into a single illustration, was a cover for the June issue of <em>Nature Materials</em>, for a paper that described how certain cells respond to biomaterials. The resulting image was, in essence, “a complete metaphor.” Although it depicted something that did not exist, it clearly conveyed the effect being described in the paper: a technique that prevents macrophages, a type of white blood cells that act as a kind of molecular garbage collector, from creating unwanted deposits around devices implanted in the body such as pacemakers.</p>
<p>To produce that cover, Frankel combined a backround image from the researchers’ lab, depicting normal cells in a growth medium, along with a foreground image depicting a macrophage, which Frankel found after an online search and then manipulated after purchasing rights to the image. The combination suggested the interactions described in the research, even though those interactions had not been directly imaged.</p>
<p>When she sits down with researchers to discuss images for their work, Frankel says, “I encourage them to come up with metaphors” that can help to show the essence of their work in ways that a simple photographic image might not. “Thinking about coming up with metaphors is also a means of clarification” that can help the researchers describe what they’ve done more clearly to people outside their own discipline.</p>
<p>Besides working one-on-one with researchers, Frankel has also led several workshops and developed an online edX class to convey her ideas about how to use visual imagery to enhance scientific understanding. The tutorials are also available on <a href="https://ocw.mit.edu/resources/res-10-001-making-science-and-engineering-pictures-a-practical-guide-to-presenting-your-work-spring-2016/">Open CourseWare</a>.</p>
<p>Frankel “has done a fabulous job in helping our researchers to deliver their research graphically,” says Gang Chen, head of the department of mechanical engineering. “She is creative and resourceful, and is a delight to work with.”</p>
<p>In her direct work with the researchers, Frankel urges them to “tell me the salient facts,” and then they can work together on “designing an image to represent the fundamental aspects of what the research is about.” And, she says, “it’s another way for the researchers to clarify in their own minds” the key points they need to communicate.</p>
Felice Frankel, a research scientist in MIT’s Center for Materials Science and Engineering, has helped to produce images that just in the last few months have graced the covers of Nature, Nature Materials, and Environmental Science, among others.
Image: Felice Frankel/NatureCenter for Materials Science and Engineering, Staff, Arts, Photography, Technology and society, School of Engineering, Classes and programs, Workshops, Science communications, EdX, OpenCourseWare, MIT MuseumReverend Kirstin Boswell-Ford to be newest chaplainhttps://news.mit.edu/2017/mit-welcomes-reverend-kirstin-boswell-ford-institute-chaplain-0705
Boswell-Ford will be only the second chaplain to the Institute in MIT’s history, succeeding Robert Randolph.Wed, 05 Jul 2017 11:40:01 -0400Isabella Dionne | Division of Student Lifehttps://news.mit.edu/2017/mit-welcomes-reverend-kirstin-boswell-ford-institute-chaplain-0705<p>MIT will welcome the Reverend Kirstin Boswell-Ford this month as the new chaplain to the Institute and director of religious life. She will succeed Robert Randolph, a member of the MIT community since 1979 who became the first chaplain to the Institute in 2007.</p>
<p>Boswell-Ford comes to MIT from Brown University, where she served as associate university chaplain to the Protestant community. Prior to her service at Brown, Boswell-Ford worked both at Bentley University in Waltham, Massachusetts, and at the International Association of Black Religions and Spiritualities in Chicago. Speaking about working in a university setting, she says the growth and development of individuals is what&nbsp;makes her service so worthwhile.</p>
<p>“You’re looking at students that are going to be our next world leaders,” Boswell-Ford&nbsp;says.&nbsp;“And I love seeing them as they’re just embarking on their careers.”</p>
<p>“I am delighted that Kirstin is taking on this important role in our community,” says Suzy Nelson, vice president and dean for student life. “As a member of the Division of Student Life’s senior staff, she will be an important voice in conversations about community support, diversity, and inclusion, and student wellbeing.”</p>
<p>Senior Associate Dean of Student Support and Wellbeing David Randall, who chaired the search for the new chaplain to the Institute, says the committee “wanted someone who, most importantly, connected with students — someone who could build on the foundation that was set by Bob Randolph, but also create a new vision for the office.”</p>
<p>Boswell-Ford matched the committee’s priorities perfectly. During her time at Brown, she worked closely with a number of smaller groups within the Protestant community, as well as with that university's many&nbsp;interfaith organizations.</p>
<p>“Kirstin has a deep appreciation for diversity and inclusion, and we needed a chaplain who could speak to the whole MIT community,” Randall says. “Kirstin really had a commitment to interfaith work that I think was quite unique.”</p>
<p>While Boswell-Ford is new to MIT, she's no stranger to Cambridge. She has also served as an associate pastor at Union Baptist Church in Central Square, where she worked closely with the congregation’s Women’s Fellowship and provided pastoral care and counseling for community members. She experienced her first interactions with the MIT community when she took some courses at the Institute while studying at Wellesley College (she later transferred&nbsp;to the University of Virginia, where she completed her degree).</p>
<p>“I've always been very impressed with the school’s mission and dedication to the sciences and engineering and technology,” she says. “MIT really is a place where there's a lot of support for students, and that was really impressive to me.”</p>
<p>Given that Boswell-Ford will be only the second chaplain to the Institute in MIT’s history after Randolph, who retired last August, she and the MIT community are looking forward to the strides she can make in the position.</p>
<p>“Bob Randolph really worked hard at establishing the chaplaincy, and I think Kirstin can really take it to the next level,” Randall says. “There are folks in many offices who are very interested in partnering with the chaplaincy, and in making sure that we have a tight web of support for our students. I think she’s going to really have a lot of flexibility in creating her vision for the office, and she’s going to have a lot of eager partners as we think about how to all work together.”</p>
<p>Boswell-Ford says she's “very excited for the challenge.”</p>
<p>“I think that there’s a lot of room for putting my mark on the growth and the implementation of what religious life looks like at MIT, so that’s very exciting to me,” she says.</p>
Kirsten Boswell-Ford comes to MIT from Brown University, where she served as associate university chaplain to the Protestant community. Photo courtesy of Brown University Media Relations.Community, Diversity and inclusion, Religion, Student life, StaffLetter regarding The Engine Working Groups preliminary reporthttps://news.mit.edu/2017/letter-regarding-engine-working-groups-preliminary-report-0630
Fri, 30 Jun 2017 11:30:00 -0400MIT News Officehttps://news.mit.edu/2017/letter-regarding-engine-working-groups-preliminary-report-0630<p><em>The following email was sent today to the MIT community by Provost Martin A. Schmidt.</em></p>
<p>To members of the MIT community:</p>
<p>In December 2016, I charged <a href="https://ewg.mit.edu/">The Engine Working Groups</a> to guide the development of Institute policies and procedures for engaging with <a href="http://www.engine.xyz/">The Engine</a>. The Engine, a new external innovation accelerator, was launched by MIT to help start-ups pursuing capital- and time-intensive technologies access patient capital, workspaces, equipment, and services needed to bring solutions from inception to the marketplace. <a href="https://ewg.mit.edu/members-engine-working-groups">Sixty-two members</a> of the MIT community, including faculty, students, postdocs, and staff, participated in this effort.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Professor Anantha P. Chandrakasan has led The Engine Working Groups effort and also heads The Engine Advisory Committee, which includes the Working Groups chairs, Vice President and General Counsel Mark DiVincenzo, Executive Director of the Industrial Performance Center Elisabeth Reynolds, and Senior Director for Institute Affairs Glen Comiso.</p>
<p>I now write to share the <a href="http://web.mit.edu/ewgreport/">preliminary report</a> of the Working Groups and to seek your input. Please submit any comments, questions, and suggestions to theenginewg@mit.edu. A final report will be released in early fall.</p>
<p>The Working Groups focused on five areas of MIT engagement with The Engine:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>New Models for Technology Licensing&nbsp;</strong>— Chair: Professor Timothy Swager</li>
<li><strong>Facilities Access&nbsp;</strong>— Chair: Professor Martin Culpepper</li>
<li><strong>Conflict of Interest&nbsp;</strong>— Chair: Professor Klavs Jensen</li>
<li><strong>Visas for MIT Entrepreneurs&nbsp;</strong>— Chair: Professor Dick Yue</li>
<li><strong>MIT’s Innovation Ecosystem&nbsp;</strong>— Co-Chairs: Professors Fiona Murray and Vladimir Bulović</li>
</ul>
<p>This preliminary report is the product of six months of campus-wide engagement, discussions, research, and analysis by the Working Groups. The Advisory Committee submitted the preliminary report to me, Vice President for Research Maria Zuber, and Executive Vice President and Treasurer Israel Ruiz.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The next step is to collect comments from the community and, after reviewing and incorporating this input, to deliver a final report in early fall and finalize an implementation plan. Finally, while the focus of this report is MIT’s engagement with The Engine, many of the recommendations will enhance overall innovation at the Institute.</p>
<p>I am grateful to Professor Chandrakasan, the chairs of the Working Groups, the Advisory Committee, and the Working Group members for their expertise, time, and service. I am eager to see how these ideas will allow MIT, along with entities such as The Engine, to help young companies develop innovations that positively transform society and help create a better world.</p>
<p>Sincerely,<br />
Martin A. Schmidt</p>
The Engine, Provost, Administration, Community, Letters to the Community, Faculty, Staff, StudentsMIT Libraries staff honored with 2017 Infinite Mile Awardshttps://news.mit.edu/2017/mit-libraries-staff-honored-with-infinite-mile-awards-0626
Annual celebration of excellence honors employees for exceptional contributions on behalf of library users and colleagues.Mon, 26 Jun 2017 16:50:01 -0400Brigham Fay | MIT Librarieshttps://news.mit.edu/2017/mit-libraries-staff-honored-with-infinite-mile-awards-0626<p>The MIT Libraries honored the&nbsp;outstanding contributions of staff to the Institute&nbsp;at&nbsp;its Infinite Mile Awards ceremony on June 14. The libraries put their own unique spin on the MIT tradition with a nautical theme that infused everything&nbsp;from the remarks to the décor, and with a celebratory luncheon where staff members danced to music by the libraries' house band, Dewey and the Decimals.</p>
<p>Director Chris Bourg presented awards to individuals and teams in the categories listed below; award recipients are listed along with excerpts from the award presentations.</p>
<p><strong>Community Building</strong></p>
<p>Described as “the heart and soul of the department,” Julia Lanigan, collections and administrative assistant in the department of Scholarly Communications and Collections Strategy, was honored for bringing a commitment to community to everything she does. If there is an activity that involves bringing others together, she is likely to be a part of it: <a href="http://libraries.mit.edu/mit-reads/" target="_blank">MIT Reads</a>, the Libraries’ Committee for the Promotion of Diversity and Inclusion; the Collections Directorate Task Force for Diversity, Inclusion, and Social Justice; organizing a bookmobile to highlight the Black Lives Matter movement; or gathering library staff to participate in the Boston Women’s March. Colleagues recognized her genuine caring and devoted efforts to strengthen the organization.</p>
<p>Katharine Dunn and Mikki Macdonald pulled off something amazing — and very MIT — when they led the libraries in the <a href="http://news.mit.edu/2016/crossing-charles-moving-day-parade-competition-0509" target="_self">Crossing the Charles&nbsp;Parade and Competition</a>&nbsp;in May 2016. As one nominee described, they were “cheerfully tireless in the effort to corral, create, and deliver an outstanding representation of the MIT Libraries spirit.” Dunn and Macdonald were honored for enlisting&nbsp;the aid of an artist to translate beautiful sketches into larger-than-life-sized props, coordinating&nbsp;a group of disparate volunteers, and leading&nbsp;a process that was a high-profile, high-energy, high-impact success. Their inclusive leadership, creativity, and enthusiasm in symbolically&nbsp;once again moving MIT across the Charles resulted in the libraries winning the Beaver Spirit Award for school spirit.</p>
<p><strong>Innovation, Creativity, and Problem Solving</strong></p>
<p>Web developer Matt Bernhardt’s approach to work consistently involves thoughtful solutions that directly tie back to user needs, whether those users are the MIT community or library staff. “He doggedly pursues solutions and often comes back with a variety of options that offer benefits that I hadn’t even considered,” said one nominator. Bernhardt was honored for generously sharing&nbsp;his knowledge and expertise, not just in everyday work and projects, but beyond his immediate circle to a vast sea of colleagues and collaborators. The libraries applauded his creativity, hard work, collegial spirit, and ability to anticipate problems and recognize opportunities to improve services.</p>
<p><strong>Results, Outcome, and Productivity</strong></p>
<p>Maps are everywhere: Google Maps, Google Earth, Mapquest, GIS. However, a lot of spatial information is only available on paper maps. Mary Jeanne Yuen, metadata production associate, helps others search the vast MIT Libraries map collections. She was recognized for taking&nbsp;great care in being detail oriented, thorough, and responsive, and for&nbsp;persistent efforts that have resulted in better access for library users. As one nominator said:&nbsp;“You can depend on her to produce fantastic work, whether it’s creating authority records or cataloging German topographic maps. You can also depend on her to crack you up with her dry, self-deprecating humor … she is authentic, hilarious, caring, and generous.”</p>
<p><strong>Unsung Hero/Heroine</strong></p>
<p>Judith Gallagher is the kind of person who works so smoothly behind the scenes that it would be easy for her to escape notice. Colleagues who work with her closely describe her as “meticulous,” “thoughtful,” “a superstar colleague,” and “genuinely caring and dedicated.” The financial and payroll associate is a treasure trove of information — about the libraries, the Institute, and procedures and policies — and is generous and patient in sharing that knowledge with others. Gallagher was honored for going&nbsp;above and beyond the call of duty and&nbsp;stepping in to help when her team was severely short-staffed due to illness, while still keeping up with her regular duties. She also takes pleasure in making other people's&nbsp;workday a little brighter.</p>
<p>Colleagues say Tim Rix exhibits three traits&nbsp;that make him outstanding specifically at his job and as a co-worker in general: direct and honest communication,&nbsp;empathy, and&nbsp;a systematic approach. The systems administrator was recognized for responding&nbsp;to challenges pragmatically and&nbsp;figuring out ways to make it work, even in suboptimal circumstances. Rix makes one's problems his problems and takes pleasure in helping his colleagues, sometimes with inadequate notice, sometimes stepping in when others are absent or unavailable, but always without fanfare.</p>
<p><strong>Communication and Collaboration</strong></p>
<p>The day after the 2016 U.S. presidential election, students <a href="http://news.mit.edu/2016/scene-at-mit-election-reflection-1116" target="_self">mobilized</a> in the lobby of Building 7, wrapping the large columns with paper and encouraging the MIT community to share their thoughts, hopes, and concerns. A large, cross-departmental team from the libraries, including Liz Andrews, Matt Bernhardt, Frances Botsford, Emily Crawford, Katherine Crowe, Myles Crowley, Darcy Duke, Nora Murphy, Kari Smith, and Chris Tanguay, then stepped up to acquire, preserve, and make these posters accessible. They planned how to move, store, and preserve the large posters — the biggest measuring 3.5 feet wide and 16 feet long. A video pan of each poster was shot, digital images were taken, transcription of the content was performed with extreme quality control, and a <a href="https://libraries.mit.edu/2016-election-posters/" target="_blank">website</a> was quickly created —&nbsp;all to help make the posters available to a wider audience and to preserve them in perpetuity.</p>
<p><strong>Customer Service</strong></p>
<p>The Library Storage Annex scanning team of Howard Martin and Allegra Zoller recieved the award for going&nbsp;the extra mile to implement a long-sought-after service for the Institute. In 2015, an MIT Libraries’ survey asked:&nbsp;“If you had $100 to spend, how would you allocate it to make the most positive impact on your research or coursework?” One of the top answers was to provide article and chapter scanning and delivery from on-campus collections. The unflappable, hard-working duo of Martin and Zoller worked with outside vendors to get new equipment and software, improved&nbsp;internal delivery processes, and trained staff in order to incorporate <a href="http://libguides.mit.edu/scan-deliver" target="_blank">Scan and Deliver</a> into the libraries’ suite of services. It now seamlessly provides PDFs of articles and book chapters from most of the libraries’ print collections, not just those in storage. Said one emeritus professor:&nbsp;“I thank you for what must have been a tremendous amount of work in setting it up. I intend to use it frequently.”&nbsp;</p>
Chris Bourg (at center in turquoise blue shirt) stands with the recipients of the MIT Libraries' 2017 Infinite Mile Awards.Photo: Hannah PiecuchAwards, honors and fellowships, Campus services, Community, Libraries, Diversity and inclusion, StaffSTEX event showcases innovations in fitness technology and sciencehttps://news.mit.edu/2017/stex-event-innovations-fitness-technology-and-science-0626
Entrepreneurs, researchers, and industry experts build connections at workshop.Mon, 26 Jun 2017 16:00:00 -0400Rob Matheson | MIT News Officehttps://news.mit.edu/2017/stex-event-innovations-fitness-technology-and-science-0626<p>Many MIT-affiliated startups are innovating in the burgeoning fitness technology and science space, aiming to promote healthier lifestyles and help optimize athletic performance.</p>
<p>Novel products from these startups include a smart chair that fights back pain and diabetes, a sleeve that monitors muscle-movement data that users can share in the cloud, a wristband that tracks blood oxygen levels for greater performance, and even a so-called anti-aging pill.</p>
<p>A <a href="https://startupexchange.mit.edu/startupexchange/html/index.html#viewOpportunity/163">workshop</a> hosted June 22 by the MIT Office Corporate Relations' (OCR) <a href="https://startupexchange.mit.edu/startupexchange/html/index.html">MIT Startup Exchange (STEX) program</a> brought together some of these MIT entrepreneurs and industry experts to showcase their innovations and foster connections that could lead to new business opportunities.</p>
<p>Held throughout the year, the three-hour STEX workshops include lightning presentations from MIT-connected startups; brief talks from academic innovators, industry experts, government representatives, and venture capitalists; startup presentation and demonstration sessions; and an interactive panel discussion.</p>
<p>At last week’s event, eight entrepreneurs pitched their fitness-tech products — several rooted in MIT research — to a crowd of around 80 entrepreneurs, researchers, and industry experts in the OCR headquarters on Main Street, in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The academic keynote speaker was MIT Novartis Professor of Biology Leonard Guarente, who took the opportunity to demystify the science behind his startup Elysium Health’s “anti-aging pill,” which is made of compounds that aim to thwart age-related cell damage, which can lead to inflammatory and heart diseases, osteoporosis, and diabetes.</p>
<p>STEX events aim to stimulate discussion, foster collaboration, and build partnerships between MIT-connected startups and member companies of MIT's Industrial Liaison Program (ILP). The series covers a broad range of topics: a recent workshop focused on energy storage, while upcoming events will focus on synthetic biology, robotics and drones, cancer therapies, renewable energy, world water issues, and 3-D printing.</p>
<p>“Fitness, wellness and nutrition are very exciting areas, and MIT founders are very active in the space. We certainly have industry coming to campus interested in all of these technologies and products coming from them,” Trond Undheim, who directs STEX and is the organizer of the event, said in his opening remarks.</p>
<p>Presenter Simon Hong, a researcher in the McGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT, and CEO of smart-chair startup Robilis, said last week’s STEX workshop provided “an opportunity to interact with potential stakeholders.”</p>
<p>Based on neuroscience research, Robilis developed StandX, a chair with two automated moving halves, side by side. The halves alternate — one dropping down and the other staying straight — making the user sit down on one half while standing on the opposite leg. The frequent alternation prevents stress on the spine caused by sitting in one position for extended periods, and the chair’s design encourages proper posture. The movement also interrupts prolonged sitting, which is associated with diabetes.</p>
<p>During a startup demonstration session midway through the event, Hong’s station was crowded with attendees looking to try out the chair. In the end, he walked away with a few contacts interested in helping with production and in introducing him to potential investors. “I was quite satisfied with the event,” Hong told <em>MIT News</em>. “It is in a way a networking event, and good things tend to happen quite unexpectedly during many, many interactions with people.”</p>
<p>Apart from providing a venue to spread the word about his wearables, the event enabled Alessandro Babini MBA ’15, co-founder of Humon, to connect with larger organizations in the space. Humon, a wearable targeted at endurance athletes, attaches to a muscle, where it monitors blood oxygen levels by shining a light into the skin and analyzing changes in the light that indicate less or more oxygen.</p>
<p>“It was interesting to get an understanding about what big brands seek in partners, what they’re looking to invest in, and what they’re working on now,” Babini told <em>MIT News</em>. “Big corporations have a lot of customers and a big influence on where the market is going.”</p>
<p>Another interesting MIT spinout, figure8, presented a wearable that captures 3-D body movement that can be analyzed by the user or shared with an online community — like a “YouTube” of movement data.</p>
<p>The wearable is a small sleeve made from novel sensor-woven fabric that fits over the arm or leg to track joint and muscle movement. It lets users map the movement of muscle, bone, and ligaments. Put on a knee, for instance, the wearable can map individual ligaments, which is valuable for, say, monitoring the <em>anterior cruciate ligament</em> (ACL). One application is in physical therapy, so athletes can track injuries as they heal.</p>
<p>Users can also map their movement to others. Dancers, for instance, can use the sensor to match their movements to those of others during training. The startup is also developing a platform that lets users upload and share that data in the cloud.</p>
<p>“Before YouTube, no one thought about video as something you can share, upload, and download as a commodity,” said co-founder and CEO Nan-Wei Gong, an MIT Media Lab researcher, during her presentation. “We’re trying to create a system for everyone to collect this motion [data] they can upload and download.”</p>
<p>Other startups that presented included: <a href="https://www.kitchology.com/">Kitchology</a>, <a href="http://www.fitnescity.com/">Fitnescity</a>, <a href="http://digitalnutrition.net/">Digital Nutrition</a>, <a href="http://www.foodforsleep.com/">Food for Sleep</a>, and <a href="http://www.splitsage.com/">SplitSage</a>.</p>
<p>In his keynote, Guarente explained the science and history behind Elysium’s “anti-aging” pill, called Basis, which he himself has been taking for three years. He noted the pill doesn’t necessarily make people feel more youthful or healthier, especially if they’re already healthy. “You should just fall apart more slowly,” Guarente said to laughter from the audience.</p>
<p>Years ago, Guarente and other MIT researchers identified a group of genes called sirtuins that have been demonstrated to slow the aging process in microbes, fruit flies, and mice. For instance, calorie-restricted diets, long known to extend lifespans and prevent many diseases in mammals, is key in activating sirtuins. “It turns out there are compounds that can do the same thing,” Guarente said.</p>
<p>It was later discovered that one of those compounds is abundant in blueberries and that an enzyme called nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) is essential in carrying out the activity of sirtuins. But NAD deteriorates with age. “If there’s not enough NAD, you don’t activate sirtuins. Metabolism and DNA-repair goes awry, and a lot of things go wrong,” he said.</p>
<p>However, in the NAD synthesis pathway, NAD’s precursor, called <em>nicotinamide riboside</em> (NR), can be injected into an organism, where it would move efficiently into cells and be converted into NAD.</p>
<p>Basis is a combination of NR and the sirtuin-activating compound from blueberries.</p>
<p>Last year, Elysium conducted a 120-person trial. The results indicated that the pills were safe and led to an increase and sustainability of NAD levels. More trials are on the way, and the startup is growing its pipeline of products. It has not yet been shown whether Basis can extend life-span in humans.</p>
<p>“We could really make a difference in people’s health,” Guarente said at the conclusion of his talk. “And it would add to all the … medical devices and DNA analysis and motion sensors, so that people can begin to do what they want to do, which is to take charge of their health.”</p>
<p>The investor speaker was David T. Thibodeau, managing director of Wellvest Capital, an investment banking company specializing in healthy living and wellness. The industry speaker was Matthew Decker, global technical leader in the Comfort and Biophysics Group of W.L. Gore and Associates, the manufacturing company best known for Gore-Tex fabrics.</p>
<p>Panelists were Guarente, Decker, Thibodeau, and Josh Sarmir, co-founder and CEO of SplitSage, an MIT spinout that is developing an analytics platform that can detect “sweet spots” and “blind spots” in people’s fields of vision to aid in sports performance, online advertising, and work safety, among other applications.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p>STEX has a growing database of roughly 1,200 MIT-affiliated startups. Last year, OCR, in close partnership with ILP, created <a href="https://startupexchange.mit.edu/startupexchange/html/index.html#stex25">STEX25</a>, an accelerator for 25 startups at any time that focuses on high-level, high-quality introductions. The first cohort of 14 startups have gone through the accelerator, gaining industry partnerships that have led to several pilots, partnerships, and lead client relationships.</p>
Innovation and Entrepreneurship (I&E), Startups, Alumni/ae, Special events and guest speakers, Industry, Biology, Research, Invention, Faculty, Staff, Students, Health, Disease, Drug development, Technology and society, Sensors, Sports, McGovern InstituteDiOnetta Jones Crayton receives inclusive culture and equity awardhttps://news.mit.edu/2017/dionetta-jones-crayton-receives-inclusive-culture-and-equity-award-0623
Award recognizes efforts to “promote positive change to the climate and culture for women in engineering fields.”Fri, 23 Jun 2017 11:30:01 -0400Elizabeth Durant | Office of the Dean for Undergraduate Educationhttps://news.mit.edu/2017/dionetta-jones-crayton-receives-inclusive-culture-and-equity-award-0623<p>Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education and Director of the Office of Minority Education DiOnetta Jones Crayton has received a prestigious award from the Women in Engineering Pro-Active Network (WEPAN). The award was presented on June 13 at the WEPAN 2017 Change Leader Forum in Colorado.</p>
<p>Founded in 1990, WEPAN is comprised of individuals from nearly 200 academic, corporate, government, and nonprofit organizations working to advance women in engineering in higher education and the workplace.</p>
<p>The Inclusive Culture and Equity Award honors individuals or groups that have been a “catalyst for change” at their institutions by creating and implementing inclusive initiatives, policies, or practices that enhance the culture and climate for women in engineering. Nominations are sought from many sources, including WEPAN members, university presidents, and leaders at organizations such as the American Society for Engineering Education.</p>
<p>Nominators describe Crayton as a “change agent” and a “tireless champion for diversity and inclusion for all in engineering, particularly for women and students of color.” One wrote, “She has deep knowledge of and insights into what interventions and programs would enhance the experiences of undergraduate engineering and other STEM students from groups that are underrepresented in these fields. I value her thoughtful contributions to discussions and the way she stands up for what she believes to be right and true.”</p>
<p>Another nominator praised Crayton’s work at MIT as a thought partner for senior administration and a mentor to other staff, adding, “In her mind there is a solution to every challenge … and she is always willing to go the extra mile to find it!”</p>
<p>Crayton came to MIT in 2009 from Cornell University, where she was director of diversity programs for the College of Engineering. Prior to Cornell, she worked at the National Consortium for Graduate Degrees for Minorities in Engineering and Science, Inc.; the California Mathematics Engineering and Science Achievement Schools Program at the University of California at Berkeley; and the MESA Engineering Program at the University of the Pacific. She has assumed local and national leadership roles, including on the Massachusetts Governor’s Diversity Subcommittee on STEM, and has served on a number of diversity advisory boards.</p>
<p>“I have been working in STEM diversity initiatives for almost 25 years, and indeed, we have made great progress,” Crayton said at the WEPAN awards ceremony. “But there is still more work to be done. … I am proud to be doing this great work in partnership with WEPAN.”</p>
<p>In addition to Crayton, the Inclusive Culture and Equity Award was presented to one other individual: Joyce Yen, director of the ADVANCE Center for Institutional Change at the University of Washington.</p>
WEPAN President Teri Reed (left) and MIT's DiOnetta Jones Crayton (right).Courtesy of WEPANAwards, honors and fellowships, Staff, Community, Diversity and inclusion, Office of Minority Education, Women in STEMDean for Undergraduate Education announces 2017 Infinite Mile Award recipientshttps://news.mit.edu/2017/mit-office-dean-undergraduate-education-announces-infinite-mile-award-recipients-0620
Annual celebration of excellence honors staff for contributions on behalf of students, the department, and the Institute.Tue, 20 Jun 2017 17:05:01 -0400Office of the Dean for Undergraduate Educationhttps://news.mit.edu/2017/mit-office-dean-undergraduate-education-announces-infinite-mile-award-recipients-0620<p>The Office of the Dean for Undergraduate Education (DUE) honored exceptional staff for their contributions on behalf of students, DUE, and the Institute at&nbsp;its annual Infinite Mile Awards ceremony on June 12.</p>
<p>Dean Dennis Freeman hosted the event and presented&nbsp;awards to outstanding individuals and teams in five categories: Communication and Collaboration, Customer Service,&nbsp;Diversity and Inclusion,&nbsp;Innovation and Creativity, and Leadership.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p>This year’s award recipients are listed below, with excerpts from the awards presentation.</p>
<p><strong>Communication and Collaboration</strong></p>
<p>Melissa Martin-Greene and Michael Bergren of the Undergraduate Advising and Academic Programming Office (UAAP) were honored for their work on the UAAP Web Design Team, which&nbsp;oversaw the complex redesign of the UAAP website. Because UAAP includes a number of different offices and programs — many of which had websites of their own —&nbsp;the process was challenging. Also, several significant organizational changes announced during the UAAP redesign further complicated the project: the Distinguished Fellowships Program and the Assistive Technology and Information Center were moved under the UAAP umbrella, and both Student Support Services and Student Disabilities Services migrated to the Division of Student Life. Melissa and Michael “persisted through many logistical challenges, overcame setbacks, and created a standard for collegiality. The result is a new, modern, well-designed, and accessible website for the UAAP that will better serve our constituents.”</p>
<p>Lauren McKown of the D-Lab in the&nbsp;Office of Experiential Learning was recognized&nbsp;for creating and implementing a robust communications strategy for two programs, the International Development Innovation Network and the Comprehensive Initiative on Technology Evaluation. McKown was tasked with expanding the outreach of these new, groundbreaking programs, which focus on global poverty, to a diverse audience around the world, including students, academics, entrepreneurs, donors, and others. In six months, she created a graphic identity, website, newsletter, blog, and social media presence for the programs, grounded in her masterful ability as a storyteller: “Her communication style mirrors the spirit and values of the programs themselves, exuding empathy, inclusivity, and empowerment.”</p>
<p>Emily Sheldon&nbsp;of the MIT Admissions Office won her award for devoting&nbsp;considerable time and energy to recruiting and enrolling a diverse array of students, in particular transfer students, veterans, and&nbsp;Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) students. Her collaborative efforts to attract ROTC students have contributed to a five-fold increase in the number of students admitted to the MIT ROTC programs. To attract more veterans, Sheldon has met with high-ranking Pentagon officials, organized a visit to Camp Pendleton in California, and forged a partnership with VetLink, which assists veterans with the college application process. Her efforts have paid off: “Many of our applicants and admitted students from these communities specifically cite meeting Emily as the reason they learned about MIT and decided to apply.”</p>
<p><strong>Customer Service</strong></p>
<p>Meredith Pepin&nbsp;of the Global Education and Career Development Office was recognized for going above and beyond the call of duty to serve students as they consider and pursue career paths. She has worked with a number of special cases, such as students on leave from MIT and students with disabilities that might affect their employment search. Pepin has developed a high level of expertise as the director of the Freshman/Alumni Summer Internship Program, and as the academic liaison to several&nbsp;departments, including Architecture, Mechanical Engineering, and Aeronautics and Astronautics. In all of her work as a career counselor, she “epitomizes the kind of care, attention, and service all MIT students should receive. She is able to connect and establish rapport, and to provide a supportive and encouraging process that helps students progress along whatever path they choose.”</p>
<p><strong>Diversity and Inclusion</strong></p>
<p>Latasha Boyd&nbsp;of the MIT Admissions Office won&nbsp;for her outstanding work as a member of the multicultural recruitment team and for her work with&nbsp;the new DUE Diversity and Inclusion Council. “She has been a tireless advocate for increasing diversity in the MIT community by playing a vital role in recruiting underrepresented students and leading workshops to increase the Admissions staff’s cultural fluency." Among her many other efforts in this regard, Boyd has worked closely with the Office of Engineering Outreach Programs&nbsp;to develop a curriculum to educate students of color about the college admissions process, and has coordinated&nbsp;fly-in visits that attract roughly 500 prospective underrepresented students per year.</p>
<p>Tyrene Jones&nbsp;of the Global Education and Career Development Office was honored for her commitment to enacting positive change as a career advisor for students of diverse backgrounds, and for her involvement in the new DUE Diversity and Inclusion Council. Jones is an “insightful, powerful, and positive thought leader” who enlightens and empowers those she interacts with. “In speaking to larger groups, she communicates with non-judgmental empathy, understanding, and respect for all. Her compassion, maturity, and positive aura draw people in who otherwise might be resistant to or nervous about engaging in open and honest dialogues on the tough topics of race, gender, sex, age, and disability discrimination.”</p>
<p><strong>Innovation and Creativity</strong></p>
<p>Jake Livengood&nbsp;of the Global Education and Career Development Office was recognized for developing engaging improv workshops to help students improve their job search skills and enhance their self confidence. Livengood believed improv could be a useful and fun way to help students prepare for networking, job interviews, and job offer negotiations, because it teaches people to think on their feet, respond to unexpected situations effectively, and handle uncertainty. After receiving training in improv, he developed the workshops and began offering them in the fall of 2015. To date, the “Improv Meister of MIT” has offered over 25 workshops on campus and is in high demand to provide trainings for staff at other schools, such as Harvard University and New York University.</p>
<p>Katherine Wahl&nbsp;of the UAAP's Assistive Technology Information Center received the award&nbsp;for developing novel methods to meet the increased demand for accessibility evaluations. On her own time, Wahl found a creative way to use the GitHub platform to share evaluations among ATIC team members and clients. This method of reviewing and disseminating information has two advantages: It gives clients actionable feedback, and it speeds up the process from the evaluation phase to report writing and final implementation. In addition, Wahl collaborated with her colleague, Rich Caloggero, to find ways to leverage his unique expertise in software development so that allows him to&nbsp;provide more direct feedback and suggestions to developers and project team members.</p>
<p><strong>Leadership</strong></p>
<p>Jeanne Hillery&nbsp;of the DUE Administration was honored for bringing&nbsp;“her creative spirit, her superb organizational skills, and her humanity to bear on the challenging task of planning space changes within DUE.” She skillfully balances the needs of the staff with the parameters of each project and is noted for her thoughtfulness, commitment, and meticulousness. As one nominator noted, Hillery “measures things down to the very centimeter, ensuring there will be no surprises.” Recent renovations of the Registrar’s Office and the Global Education and Career Development Office are a testament to her outstanding administrative skills and leadership.</p>
<p>Elizabeth Vogel Taylor of the Office of Experiential Learning was recognized for&nbsp;her contributions as an advisor, teacher, mentor, and role model for students. Since joining the tight-knit Concourse Freshman Learning Community in 2015, Vogel Taylor offered for the first time in its 40-year history a version of 5.111 (Principles of Chemical Science)&nbsp;geared for students with one year of high school chemistry. In addition, she has been actively involved in a project in Haiti to build local educational resources, particularly ones in&nbsp;the native language, Haitian Creole. Vogel Taylor is “passionate about her field of study and eager to share the excitement she feels about it with as many people, in as many languages and contexts, as possible. She is a great example of the possibilities of MIT leadership at work in the world.”</p>
The 2017 DUE Infinite Mile Award winners: (left to right) Tyrene Jones, Jeanne Hillery, Dean Dennis Freeman, Latasha Boyd, Melissa Martin-Greene, Michael Bergren, Elizabeth Vogel Taylor, Lauren McKown, and Katherine Wahl.Photo courtesy of DUE.Awards, honors and fellowships, Admissions, Staff, D-Lab, Community, Undergraduate, Global Education and Career Development, Diversity and inclusion, HaitiAcademics without bordershttps://news.mit.edu/2017/academics-without-borders-mit-world-0614
Senseable City Lab visualizes 20 years of data to show how students, faculty, and scholars join MIT from all over the world.
Wed, 14 Jun 2017 17:45:01 -0400School of Architecture and Planninghttps://news.mit.edu/2017/academics-without-borders-mit-world-0614<p>In January, MIT President L. Rafael Reif sent an <a href="http://news.mit.edu/2017/letter-community-update-regarding-executive-order-0130" target="_self">update to the MIT community</a> that described the international makeup of the campus. “Like the United States, and thanks to the United States, MIT gains tremendous strength by being a magnet for talent from around the world,” he wrote. “Faculty, students, post-docs, and staff from 134 other nations join us here because they love our mission, our values and our community.”</p>
<p>Inspired by President Reif’s description of MIT “magnificently global, absolutely American community,” researchers at the MIT Senseable City Lab recently studied 20 years of enthnographic data in order to visualize where international faculty, students, and researchers have come from over time. The result is “<a href="http://senseable.mit.edu/mit-world" target="_blank">MIT World</a>,” an online map showing the countries of origin of MIT students and scholars from 1999 to present.</p>
<p>“The international nature of MIT’s community can be seen just by walking through campus each day,” says Newsha Ghaeli, an Iranian-born researcher from Canada working at the MIT Senseable City Lab, along with Wonyoung So, one of the project’s leaders, who came to MIT from South Korea. “At our lab alone, we currently work with colleagues from 19 different countries including India, Mexico, China, Russia, Israel, and Croatia. However, we wanted to dig a bit deeper in order to discover just how global MIT really is and how we can learn about our community by specifically seeing where our colleagues and peers come from.”</p>
<p>Using data from the International Students Office and the International Scholars Office, MIT World is an interactive map that allows users to pick a region or specific country to see the flows of students and scholars coming to Cambridge, Massachusetts, from that part of the world. Accompanying interactive graphs show the number of students and scholars per country and per year coming to MIT.</p>
<p>The researchers also credit the project for demonstrating the power of visualization as a platform to disseminate data to large audiences. “The raw data for MIT World is available online to anyone via the MIT website, but visualizing it creates a different understanding ,” says Carlo&nbsp;Ratti, the director of the Senseable City Lab, professor of the practice in the Department of Urban Studies and Planning, and a native of Italy. “Data visualization helps sharing insights with a broader audience.”</p>
<p>MIT World shows how openness and academic excellence go hand-in-hand, says Ghaeli. “The ability to attract the best global talent is what makes MIT what it is: a vibrant and diverse community driven to serve the nation and the world.”</p>
“MIT World” is an online map showing the countries of origin of MIT students and scholars from 1999 to present. Blue lines represent undergraduates, red lines represent grad students, and gray lines represent visiting faculty and others.Image: MIT Senseable City LabSchool of Architecture and Planning, Urban studies and planning, President L. Rafael Reif, Global, Data, Data visualization, International relations, Faculty, Students, StaffThomas McKrell, research scientist and mentor in nuclear science and engineering, dies at 47https://news.mit.edu/2017/thomas-mckrell-research-scientist-nuclear-science-and-engineering-mentor-dies-0613
Lauded director of the MIT Thermal Hydraulics and Materials in Extreme Environments Laboratory was a consummate experimentalist and passionate teacher.Tue, 13 Jun 2017 10:40:01 -0400Department of Nuclear Science and Engineeringhttps://news.mit.edu/2017/thomas-mckrell-research-scientist-nuclear-science-and-engineering-mentor-dies-0613<p>Thomas J. McKrell, a research scientist in the Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering (NSE), passed away on June 9 at the age of 47.</p>
<p>An expert in materials behavior, especially corrosion of metallic alloys used in nuclear and conventional power plants, he came to MIT in 2006 after serving as a consultant in the power industry for more than a decade.</p>
<p>During his time at MIT, McKrell focused primarily on nuclear engineering, in particular, thermal-hydraulics. He became a technical leader in the area of heat transfer enhancement through the use of nanofluids, on which he organized sessions and gave invited lectures at domestic and international conferences.&nbsp;In 2011 he was appointed to the editorial board of the <em>Journal of Nanofluids</em>.</p>
<p>McKrell was a prolific contributor to a diverse range of other subjects, including the study of oxidation of accident-tolerant fuel (ATF) for nuclear reactors, the mitigation of tube fouling in geothermal power systems, and the probing of fundamental mechanisms in boiling heat transfer using advanced infra-red diagnostics. He also helped to advance the testing of cruciform rods for advanced nuclear power systems, the measurement of optical properties in molten salts for nuclear and solar applications, and the development of drag-reducing coatings for torpedoes.</p>
<p>“Tom was one of the best people and scientists I met at MIT,” says MIT research scientist Bren Phillips. “His personal commitment and dedication was focused not only on the results of the research, but also on the personal growth of the individual students working with him. His colleagues all saw him as essential, both in terms of his scientific knowledge and for his daily enthusiasm and effort.”</p>
<p>Notably, McKrell served as director of the Thermal Hydraulics and Materials in Extreme Environments Laboratory (known as the “Green Lab” to everyone in NSE), within the Center for Advanced Nuclear Energy Systems, from May 2006 onward. He led the transformation of the lab into a flexible multiuse tool, supporting up to eight different simultaneous experiments — all carefully maintained and orchestrated to be safe and efficient.</p>
<p>In addition to his research and leadership, McKrell was praised as a teacher and mentor of MIT students. He introduced dozens of graduate and undergraduate students to the challenges and joys of experimental work, offering advice on their experiments, including the design of new facilities, help with ordering parts, and interpretation of data.</p>
<p>One student said he always looked forward “to going to the lab to work because of the friendly, fun, exciting, cooperative, and safe culture he has fostered in the laboratory.” Another student commented on the ways that McKrell remained influential even to those he no longer directly mentored, saying, “Tom continues to provide me with personal and professional insight that nurtures my progress even though I no longer work under his cognizance. I have … known no other research scientist to be as important and involved in student progress as Tom.”</p>
<p>Such contributions did not go unnoticed by his colleagues in NSE, at MIT, and beyond. “Simply put, McKrell was an invaluable contributor to NSE’s successful experimental fission research program. His dedication helped advance NSE’s fission research and helped it to become the recognized program it is today,” says Jacopo Buongiorno, associate head of NSE.</p>
<p>In an <a href="http://news.mit.edu/2015/thomas-mckrell-nuclear-science-learning-teaching-0922">NSE profile about McKrel</a><a href="http://web.mit.edu/nse/news/spotlights/2015/mckrell.html">l</a> written in 2015, he admitted that while mentoring could often take over his days, he still found the time to explore his own research interests. As a child growing up in New Hampshire, McKrell said he noticed cars bellowing exhaust on the highway. “I could see the toll that people were having on the environment, and their disregard for nature. I always thought it would be great to make some sort of meaningful contribution, to have a huge positive impact on the environment in some way.” At MIT, he said, “I’ve been able to contribute to the clean energy sector more than that inquisitive child could have ever imagined.”</p>
<p>McKrell’s love of nature, which began during his childhood years living in a rural area, never subsided. In his adult years, McKrell carved out time for lingering in the woods near his home. “I like to sit quietly and wait for animals, like deer, to come and bed for the night,” he said. “I’ve always had that connection with the environment.”</p>
<p>McKrell is survived by his wife, Elizabeth, and two children, Grace and John. A memorial service to celebrate his life will be held in the fall.</p>
Thomas McKrellPhoto: Susan YoungNuclear science and engineering, Obituaries, School of Engineering, Staff, Heat, Nanoscience and nanotechnology, EnergyTim Cook to MIT grads: “How will you serve humanity?”https://news.mit.edu/2017/commencement-day-0609
Apple CEO urges graduating class to “work toward something greater than yourself.”Fri, 09 Jun 2017 14:30:00 -0400David L. Chandler | MIT News Officehttps://news.mit.edu/2017/commencement-day-0609<p>Tim Cook, the renowned CEO of Apple, spoke to MIT’s Class of 2017 on a beautiful sunny morning in the Institute’s Killian Court, urging the graduates to search for a direction and purpose that extends beyond their own lives.</p>
<p>Cook, who took over the reins at Apple after the death of company co-founder Steve Jobs, described his own years-long search for such a purpose, that culminated when he first met Jobs and went to work for the company. “Before that moment,” he said, “I had never met a leader with such passion, or encountered a company with such a clear and compelling purpose — to serve humanity.”</p>
<p>Speaking to the approximately 1,066 undergraduates and 1,818 graduate students receiving their degrees today, Cook said, “When you work toward something greater than yourself, you find meaning, you find purpose. So the question I hope you will carry forward from here is, how will <em>you</em> serve humanity?”</p>
<p>Speaking of the ground-breaking research that continues to emerge from MIT, Cook said, “Thanks to discoveries made right here, billions of people are leading healthier, more productive, more fulfilling lives. And if we are ever going to solve some of the hardest problems still facing the world today — everything from cancer, to climate change, to educational inequality — then technology will help us to do it.”</p>
<p>But, he stressed, that’s not the whole answer: “Technology alone isn’t the solution. Sometimes, it’s even part of the problem.” Describing his meeting last year with Pope Francis, which he described as the most incredible meeting of his life, he recalled the pope’s admonition: “Never has humanity had such power over itself, yet nothing ensures that it will be used wisely.”</p>
<p>For technology to do great things, he said, “takes all of us. It takes our values, and our commitment to our family, our neighbors, our communities. Our love of beauty and belief that all our fates are interconnected. Our decency. Our kindness.”</p>
<p>"If science is a search in the darkness,” Cook said, "then the humanities are a candle that shows us where we have been and the danger that lies ahead. It is technology married with the liberal arts, married with the humanities, that makes our hearts sing.”&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p>He added that “when you keep people at the center of what you do, it can have enormous impact. … That responsibility is immense, but so is the opportunity. … As you go forward today, use your minds and hands — and hearts — to build something bigger than yourselves.”</p>
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<p>MIT President L. Rafael Reif, in his charge to the students, echoed those sentiments and compared the graduation of this class to one of Apple’s famed product launches: “Today, I am the one presiding over the release of a mind-blowing new product. This product is a limited edition — and it’s extremely personalized. In fact, it comes in more than 2,700 varieties.”</p>
<p>Reif continued, “The operating system for our latest product is amazing! It has unmatched processing ability and built-in memory. I know, because we have tested it and retested it, over and over and over!” And, he added, “I am very proud to tell you that the product we launch today has an unlimited capacity to augment reality to make a better world.”</p>
<p>“I see a planet that urgently needs everything you have to offer,” he said. “So now, go out there. Join the world. Find your calling. Solve the unsolvable. Invent the future. Take the high road. And you will continue to make your family, including your MIT family, proud.”</p>
<p>Arolyn Conwill, president of MIT’s Graduate Student Council, said, “The world is full of enormous challenges — climate change, data security, public health, to name a few. And these challenges are complex. Our ability to solve these problems is determined by both our technological capabilities as well as our ability to implement policies that maximize the impact of our work.”</p>
<p>“For example,” she said, “even the most significant scientific advances in medicine will only be felt by those who have access to health care. Our success depends on our ability to build collaborations across disciplines and to build coalitions that include innovators, policy makers, and diverse members of our global community.” Through a combination of extraordinary talent and luck, she said, MIT’s graduates “are well-positioned to influence their disciplines and influence the world. And it’s up to us to decide how to use that influence.”</p>
<p>Conwill added, “I hope that we not only advance more sustainable ways to use our planet’s resources, but that we also work to shepherd these technologies into the mainstream. … I hope that we not only cure cancer, but that we also work to ensure that all people have access to affordable and comprehensive health care.”</p>
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<p>Liana Ilutzi, president of the Class of 2017, described sage words she had received about responding to adversity: “You can run from it, or face it head on. If MIT has taught us anything, it has taught us that we cannot run from a challenge, or from adversity.” Though many challenges will come, she said, “we are equipped with the tools to handle every single one of them.” And beyond the technological solutions, she said, “when we use empathy, our skill set is beyond powerful.”</p>
<p>She said “we are at our best when we dig deep to go beyond our own emotions, and connect with others. … When adversity confronts you, whether it’s a conflict at work, a family illness, or just a bad day, who will you be? … MIT is all about resiliency, but empathy is its accelerator.” As the graduates go about their lives, she said, “people will lean on us, work with us, and depend on us to change the world, and I know that we are up for the challenge!”</p>
<p>Ilutzi then presented the traditional senior class gift to MIT, which included contributions from 64 percent of the class members, for a total donation of $17,750. She concluded, “Class of 2017, this has been a wild ride, but this is just the beginning!”</p>
Graduates receive their actual diplomas at MIT’s Commencement ceremony.Photo: Jake BelcherCommencement, President L. Rafael Reif, Faculty, Staff, Students, Alumni/ae, Community, Special events and guest speakers, Technology and societyEngineers, awards, and a band https://news.mit.edu/2017/mit-department-of-civil-and-environmental-engineering-awards-and-banquet-0602
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering banquet recognizes the Class of 2017 and outstanding members of the CEE community.Fri, 02 Jun 2017 12:50:02 -0400Carolyn Schmitt | Department of Civil and Environmental Engineeringhttps://news.mit.edu/2017/mit-department-of-civil-and-environmental-engineering-awards-and-banquet-0602<p>Students, researchers, faculty, and staff&nbsp;celebrated graduating seniors, departmental award winners,&nbsp;and the end of the academic year&nbsp;at the recent Senior Celebration and Awards Banquet of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering&nbsp;(CEE).</p>
<p>“In CEE, we are constantly striving to create new and innovative solutions, and to find ways to improve the world through our research,” CEE department head and Jerry McAfee Professor of Engineering Markus Buehler said at the May 18 gathering. “We are able to have such a large impact because of the dedication of community members to our department mission and vision, and to MIT.”</p>
<p>The opening hour showcased senior capstone projects from members of the Class of 2017, including research on topics ranging from&nbsp;vehicle emissions to&nbsp;the Mosul Dam in Iraq.</p>
<p>“The capstones showed the potential of using the world as a classroom,” said Esther and Harold E. Edgerton Career Development Professor Admir Masic. “Many of the projects were connected to CEE fieldwork experiences — like&nbsp;<a href="http://news.mit.edu/2017/getting-hands-dirty-students-experience-fieldwork-hawaii-trex-0217" target="_self">TREX</a> and <a href="http://news.mit.edu/2016/seeking-inspiration-ancient-technologies-0406" target="_self">ONE-MA3</a> — and I think that’s an important direction to follow. By bringing our students around the world and helping them connect their research to real-world challenges, the students are able to have a direct impact. We saw the results of this concept in several of the capstone presentations.”</p>
<p>At the banquet, faculty members&nbsp;were invited to vote for the winners of the Capstone Poster Prize, which was ultimately awarded to two teams studying&nbsp;vehicle emissions in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The winners were seniors Rebecca Sugrue, Kali Rosendo, Tiffany Wang, Elaine Cunha, Kathy Dieppa, Ru Mehendale,&nbsp;and Erin Reynolds. Rosendo, Sugrue, and Wang measured roadside emissions and calculated emission factors from cars. Cunha, Dieppa, Mehendale, and Reynolds created a model to quantify vehicle emissions from cars in Cambridge.</p>
<p>“When we won it was just a lot of excitement. We worked really hard, and I think on the inside everyone wanted to win a little bit, but to have it happen and to have Professor [Jesse] Kroll also be recognized was awesome,” Sugrue said.</p>
<p>The event was also the community debut of a newly-formed CEE band, featuring graduate students Justin Montgomery, Kelsey Wittels, and Dustin Weigl;&nbsp;postdocs Stefan Thiele, Ruud Janssen, and Diego Lopez;&nbsp;and visiting scholar Balazs Lengyel.</p>
<p>“As the night went on people started getting into the show and they were singing along, cheering, and just generally rocking out,” Montgomery said. “The band had been hyped&nbsp;a bit leading up to this,&nbsp;so many people were excited to finally get to hear what we had been practicing.”</p>
<p>The band, who call themselves Hell’s Beavers, performed intermittently throughout the night and played a variety of styles, from classic rock to reggae. The inclusive group is one of a number of CEE-sponsored initiatives to build a stronger community across the department, and injected an extra boost of fun to the celebration.</p>
<p>“I think we were all pretty excited to have the opportunity to play for friends and colleagues in the department who otherwise would never see this side of us,” Montgomery said. “It was great to be able to show them something that we are passionate about and work hard at outside of our research and coursework.”</p>
<p><strong>Recognizing outstanding members of the CEE community </strong></p>
<p>Every year, students, researchers, faculty, and staff are encouraged to nominate their peers for <a href="https://cee.mit.edu/cee-awards/" target="_blank">CEE Awards</a>. As the academic year concludes, the community honors the winners and celebrates their accomplishments.</p>
<p>The awards portion of the night kicked off by honoring undergraduates. The CEE Best Undergraduate Research Award was given to seniors Elaine Cunha and Tess Hegarty. Cunha was commended for her dedication to research, specifically her work on a collaborative project with Massachusetts General Hospital. Hegarty was honored for her original research into the embodied carbon of structures, which was conducted as part of a two-year Undergraduate Research Opportunity (UROP).</p>
<p>Junior Jillian Dressler received the CEE Leadership and Community Award for her hard work and dedication to CEE. She was recognized for her enthusiasm for the department, particularly through her role as social chair for the Civil and Environmental Engineering Student Association (CEESA).</p>
<p>The Juan Hermosilla (1957) Prize, given to a student demonstrating exceptional talent and potential for future contributions at the intersection of mechanics, materials, structures and design, was awarded to senior George Varnavides. For his senior capstone project, Varnavides worked on a project about the Mosul Dam in Iraq. His project was inspired by a <em>New Yorker</em> article on the dam, which was constructed under Saddam Hussein.</p>
<p>The Leo (Class of 1924) and Mary Grossman Award, which is given annually to an undergraduate student with a strong interest in transportation and a strong academic record, was presented to sophomore Mark Mockett. Mockett was commended for his dedication and thorough research during a UROP in which he worked on a market selection project for the East Japan Railway Company and a market project on a high-speed rail link between Los Angeles and Las Vegas.</p>
<p>Senior Rebecca Sugrue was awarded the Paul L. Busch (1958) Prize, an award for an undergraduate student in environmental science and engineering for academic achievement and contributions to the CEE community. Sugrue has been involved with many facets of CEE, from serving as faculty liaison in CEESA to participating in freshmen pre-orientation programs and being active on the Undergraduate Association’s Committee on Sustainability.</p>
<p>Senior Bryan Lilley was the recipient of the Tucker-Voss Award, presented to an undergraduate or graduate student who shows particular promise in the field of building construction. For his senior capstone project, Lilley worked with Masic on how to minimize carbon footprint with different materials. The award was created in the 1950s, when the Department of Building Construction merged with the Department of Civil Engineering. The award is named in memory of Professor Ross F. Tucker and Professor Walter C. Voss, who were the first two heads of the Department of Building Construction.</p>
<p>A number of graduate students were also recognized for their various contributions to the department during the year and throughout their time at MIT. Qingjun “Judy” Yang was awarded the Trond Kaalstad (Class of 1957) Fellowship, awarded annually to a graduate student who has displayed leadership and contributed significantly to the well-being of the CEE community. Yang was recognized for being a founding member of MIT Talks on Reliable Environmental Science (TREES), a student organization that aims to make environmental science more accessible to all audiences.</p>
<p>The Maseeh Annual Award for Excellence as a Teaching Assistant was awarded to Xiaojing “Ruby” Fu, a graduate student and highly-rated teaching assistant for 1.000 (Computer Programming for Engineering Applications). Fu is also Chair of the Henry L. Pierce Laboratory Social Committee and an active participant in community events.</p>
<p>The third graduate student award was given to Anna Tarakanova, who was given the CEE Best Doctoral Thesis Award. The award honors scholarly and academic excellence and a high level of distinction of a CEE graduate student, and it was given&nbsp;for her thesis, “Molecular structure, hierarchical assembly and stimuli — responsive mechanics of tropoelastin and elastin biomaterials.”</p>
<p>Stefan Thiele, a postdoc in Professor Martin Polz’s lab, received the CEE Postdoctoral Scholar Mentoring, Teaching, and Excellence Award. The award is given in recognition of mentoring, teaching, and other exceptional contributions by a postdoc. In addition to volunteering as a mentor for the mini-UROP program for freshmen, Thiele has worked tirelessly to ensure the department engages in the most environmentally sustainable options and introduced an initiative to reuse&nbsp;bowls and utensils to reduce waste.</p>
<p>Students, researchers, faculty, and staff were also given the opportunity to nominate faculty members for a number of awards. Gilbert W. Winslow Career Development Professor Pedro Reis was awarded the Maseeh Excellence in Teaching Award, presented annually to the most outstanding faculty instructor in the past year. Reis was acknowledged for his energetic teaching style, as well as his willingness to engage with students outside of the classroom.</p>
<p>The CEE Distinguished Service and Leadership Award was given to JR East Professor of Engineering Joseph Sussman. The award recognizes outstanding departmental service and leadership contributions of a member of the CEE faculty, to acknowledge an individual who fosters a culture of diversity, inclusiveness, and innovation, to further the department mission and vision and MIT as a whole. Sussman was honored for his friendship and mentorship to both students and fellow faculty members and for his support of all CEE community events.</p>
<p>“With so many excellent colleagues in implicit competition for this award, I am humbled and honored to be selected,” said Sussman, who was unable to attend the event. “I look forward to receiving the certificate which I will display with pride.”</p>
<p>Class of 1942 Professor of Architecture and CEE Professor John Ochsendorf was awarded the Samuel M. Seegal Prize, for his engagement with and dedication to his students. The prize alternates annually between CEE and the Sloan School of Management, and is given to a professor who inspires students to pursue and achieve excellence.</p>
<p>The Ole Madsen Mentoring Award, a new award for 2017, was given to associate professor of CEE and chemical engineering Jesse Kroll. The award honors a faculty member for his or her contributions to mentoring and educating CEE students outside the classroom, and to inspire them to pursue a career in the field of civil and environmental engineering. Kroll was recognized for his passion for the environment, his willingness to help and mentor students, and to meet with students for faculty dinners.</p>
<p>Two staff members who have gone above and beyond in their service to the CEE community were awarded the CEE Excellence Award for their excellent contributions to the CEE community, commitment to professionalism, dedication and best practices, as well as fostering a culture of diversity, inclusiveness, and innovation. The awards were presented to Allison Dougherty of CEE Communications and Jackie Foster, an administrative assistant in the Ralph M. Parsons Laboratory for Environmental Science and Engineering.</p>
<p>“In civil and environmental engineering, there are many hard working students, researchers, faculty and staff that consistently strive to foster a strong community and commitment to excellence among our department and throughout MIT,” Buehler said. “Our annual CEE Awards Ceremony is a chance to recognize these outstanding individuals and thank them for their contributions to the department.”&nbsp;</p>
Senior Mary Hwang (left) presents her capstone research to graduate student Madison Noteware, staff member Sarah Smith, and Professor Oral Buyukozturk at the CEE Senior Celebration and Awards Ceremony. Photo: Allison Dougherty/Department of Civil and Environmental EngineeringSchool of Engineering, Awards, honors and fellowships, Staff, Civil and environmental engineering, Faculty, StudentsHuman Resources staff receive Infinite Mile Awards for exceptional contributions https://news.mit.edu/2017/human-resources-staff-receive-infinite-mile-awards-for-exceptional-contributions-0601
Thu, 01 Jun 2017 18:00:01 -0400Human Resourceshttps://news.mit.edu/2017/human-resources-staff-receive-infinite-mile-awards-for-exceptional-contributions-0601<p>On May 19, MIT Human Resources held its annual Infinite Mile Award ceremony to acknowledge exceptional individuals and teams whose contributions help fulfill HR's core mission to advance a vibrant and diverse work community where individuals thrive and contribute to MIT's excellence.</p>
<p>Lorraine A. Goffe, vice president for human resources, presented the awards to the 2017 HR Infinite Mile Award recipients in the categories of <em>I</em>nitiative and Customer Focus, Everyday Leadership, Collaboration and Community Building, and Innovating and Improving.</p>
<p>The award recipients are listed below, along with excerpts from their nominations.</p>
<p><strong>Pauline Dowell</strong>, for Initiative and Customer Focus: “Pauline is a problem solver, an emergency fixer, a go-to resource and colleague known for her ability to get things done. She is always willing to help with time-sensitive projects and always goes the extra mile in anticipating issues before they arise, taking care of her colleagues in HR and beyond.”</p>
<p><strong>Raquel Irons, </strong>for Initiative and Customer Focus: “Raquel is known for developing strong relationships with her clients to better understand their work, needs, and culture – which helps in building stronger departmental communities. All of her customers benefit from her grace and understanding and always kind manner.”</p>
<p><strong>People Matters Conference Core HR Team</strong> (<strong>Alyce Johnson</strong>, <strong>Theresa Howell</strong>, <strong>Maura Rizzuto)</strong>, for Initiative and Customer Focus: “To say this first colleague owned this project would be an understatement — she lived and breathed it from inception to months afterward. She was a wizard at aligning people to projects that played to their strengths. Another colleague was the go-to person for a slew of responsibilities that are too numerous to mention. This colleague always remained calm under pressure and was a role model for other colleagues. The third colleague provided terrific support to the team, going above and beyond, to deliver a fantastic experience.”</p>
<p><strong>Maria Barrios, </strong>for Everyday Leadership: “It started with a wonderful idea for the Excellence Awards — to provide translated nomination materials, so that non-native speakers could submit nominations, and the program could be more accessible to all MIT staff. Maria offered to translate outreach materials and nominations coming back to us. She made the translation process successful, but her interest always had to do with the success of the nominators and nominees, and in making an MIT program more open to everyone.”</p>
<p><strong>HR Fun Committee</strong> (<strong>Dyan Madrey</strong>, <strong>Cori Champagne</strong>, <strong>Margie Ferreira</strong>, <strong>Mae Jones</strong>, <strong>Kathy Kasabula</strong>, <strong>Melissa Kavlakli</strong>), for Collaboration and Community Building: “Since its inception at the beginning of this year, the team has played a prominent and vital role in building and strengthening our HR community. I am appreciative of this group’s efforts to generate positive energy and good feeling around the office. They are wonderfully creative, and have come up with a variety of events.”</p>
<p><strong>Marlene Lewis, </strong>for Innovating and Improving: “Her many years in private industry allowed her to come to HR and apply some of their experience (aka problem solving expertise) to create new and successful approaches, which greatly benefited the disabilities services team. She is innovative, efficient, energetic, a collaborator, committed, and customer-oriented.”</p>
<p><strong>Scott Rolph,</strong> for Innovating and Improving: “Scott’s efforts have required creative problem-solving, innovative thinking, risk-taking and navigating a diverse set of stakeholders. He developed and delivered a comprehensive training program for the customer service team at the new Atlas Center; re-vamped the content of a huge number of the training workshops, and created a Career Planning Guide that will be used to promote career development.”</p>
2017 MIT Human Resources Infinite Mile Award winnersStaff, Human Resources, Awards, honors and fellowships, CommunitySpotlight on engineering staffhttps://news.mit.edu/2017/mit-school-of-engineering-gives-infinite-mile-awards-to-exceptional-staff-0522
The School of Engineering gives its 2017 Infinite Mile Awards for exceptional service and support.Mon, 22 May 2017 12:00:01 -0400School of Engineeringhttps://news.mit.edu/2017/mit-school-of-engineering-gives-infinite-mile-awards-to-exceptional-staff-0522<p>The MIT School of Engineering hosted its 17th annual Infinite Mile Awards ceremony on May 15, to recognize and reward members of the school’s administrative, support, service, and sponsored research staff whose work is of the highest caliber. The awards support the Institute’s and the School of Engineering’s objectives for excellence.</p>
<p>Nominations are made by department heads and laboratory directors, and the awards are presented to individuals and teams who stand out due to their high level of commitment, energy, and enthusiasm.&nbsp;Since their inception in 2001, the School of Engineering’s Infinite Mile Awards have been presented to nearly 200 staff members.&nbsp;</p>
<p>For the quality of their contributions, the&nbsp;individuals who&nbsp;earned the Infinite Mile Award for Excellence were:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Rachel Batista</strong> from the Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering;</li>
<li><strong>Beth Milnes</strong> from the Institute for Data, Systems, and Society;</li>
<li><strong>Ludmila Leoparde</strong> from the Microsystems Technology Laboratories;</li>
<li><strong>Bill Litant</strong> from the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics;</li>
<li><strong>Melinda Lyman-Wright</strong> from the Institute for Medical Engineering and Science;</li>
<li><strong>Michelle Morrison</strong> from the Institute for Medical Engineering and Science; and</li>
<li><strong>Stacy Springs</strong> from the Center for Biomedical Innovation.</li>
</ul>
<p>In addition to the Infinite Mile Awards, the School of Engineering presented two Ellen J. Mandigo Awards for Outstanding Service. Established in 2009, the award recognizes staff who have demonstrated, over an extended period of time, the qualities Ellen J. Mandigo valued and possessed during her long career at MIT: intelligence, skill, hard work, and dedication to the Institute. This award is made possible by a bequest from Mandigo, a member of the MIT engineering community for nearly five decades.</p>
<p>The 2017 recipients are Lisa Bella<strong> </strong>from the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and Beth Tuths<strong> </strong>from the Department of Chemical Engineering.</p>
Dean Ian Waitz stands with the School of Engineering's 2017 Infinite Mile Award Winners. Standing, left to right: Waitz, Rachel Batista, Lisa Bella, Michelle Morrison, Beth Milnes, and Bill Litant. Seated, left to right: Stacy Springs, Melinda Lyman-Wright, and Ludmila Leoparde.Photo: Gretchen ErtlAwards, honors and fellowships, School of Engineering, Community, Staff, Nuclear science and engineering, Aeronautical and astronautical engineering, IDSS, Microsystems Technology Laboratories, Center for Biomedical Innovation, Institute for Medical Engineering and Science (IMES)David Carpenter: Purpose driven to the corehttps://news.mit.edu/2017/mit-researcher-david-carpenter-uses-campus-nuclear-reactor-to-make-power-plants-safer-0519
Nuclear scientist David Carpenter found his calling at MIT&#039;s Nuclear Reactor Laboratory — improving the performance and safety of nuclear power plants.Fri, 19 May 2017 10:40:01 -0400Leda Zimmerman | Nuclear Reactor Labhttps://news.mit.edu/2017/mit-researcher-david-carpenter-uses-campus-nuclear-reactor-to-make-power-plants-safer-0519<p>When he first reported to MIT’s Nuclear Reactor Laboratory (NRL) as an undergraduate in 2002, David Carpenter&nbsp;anticipated a challenging research opportunity. To his surprise, he found his calling.</p>
<p>It all began with a project investigating durable new materials for use in reactors.</p>
<p>“We were testing silicon carbide, which looked like a good possibility for an accident-tolerant fuel,” recalls Carpenter ’06, SM ’06, PhD ’10. “We were irradiating it inside the reactor — it was the first time anyone had ever done this — and I realized that when we pulled the material out, we would get to see something no one had ever seen before,” he says.</p>
<p>After 15 years at the NRL conducting research and&nbsp;earning degrees in nuclear science and engineering, Carpenter’s appetite for scientific discovery remains sharp, as does his commitment to improving both the performance and safety of current and next-generation nuclear reactors. Today, as the group leader for reactor experiments, he juggles projects brought to the facility by industry, government, and academic institutions. Throughout this time, he says he has never lost his appreciation for the NRL as a singular laboratory for scientific discovery.</p>
<p>“I see the reactor as a machine that generates radiation for testing, and when you put things inside, you can get knowledge out,” he says. “I also appreciate that I get to work each day with this machine and understand how really unique it is, and to some people, maybe a bit mysterious.”</p>
<p>It’s a job that also provides purpose.&nbsp;“I do have a sense of mission, an interest in pushing nuclear engineering to gain more acceptance, developing a real piece of technology for the future that can bring a carbon-free source of substantial energy,” he says.</p>
<p>The MIT Reactor (MITR) is a light-water cooled facility and&nbsp;one of the few on-campus reactors&nbsp;of its kind. It operates 24 hours per day, 7 days per&nbsp;week throughout the year,&nbsp;except for planned maintenance and refueling. While a highly-skilled staff operates and monitors the facility, Carpenter’s role means that he is always on call. “If anything happens to the experiment, or if there are any interruptions in reactor operations, I’ll be involved,” he says.</p>
<p>On a typical day, Carpenter tends to what he calls “the care and feeding of experiments” which take place in three separate research environments situated in the reactor core. All three&nbsp;rely on the MITR for a radiation environment, but each can be tuned to produce specific pressures and temperatures in gas, water or other media. The MITR serves as an ideal facility for developing and testing materials and instruments that can&nbsp;withstand the most extreme conditions and meet the challenges of nuclear reactor operations.</p>
<p>Among the projects Carpenter is shepherding are several with the potential to make critical impacts on the nuclear energy industry. One&nbsp;is the continuation of his silicon carbide research, which was the subject of both his master’s and PhD&nbsp;dissertations, and which triggered significant interest outside of academia.</p>
<p>Carpenter’s focus has involved deploying silicon carbide, a type of ceramic, as a first-line containment barrier in reactors. Since the 1950s, Carpenter explains, nuclear reactors have used uranium pellets stacked up in fuel rods made of zirconium alloys. “These rods are the first barrier against the release of radioactive material from the reactor, but as we’ve seen at the incidents at Fukushima and Three Mile Island, they can melt down in certain circumstances.”</p>
<p>In contrast, silicon carbide in a reactor “gets really hot and sits there and just takes it, without getting soft and melting,” Carpenter says. Using MITR, he has subjected the material to the kinds of temperatures, water pressures, and chemistries that might be found in a full-power&nbsp;reactor. “We’ve gone through many iterations in a process lasting over 15 years, with many tweaks along the way,” he says.</p>
<p>Carpenter believes this research has game-changing potential. “You could retrofit hundreds of existing reactors, making them much safer and more reliable overnight,” he says. But shifting to silicon carbide as an acceptable fuel cladding faces a number of challenges. Government and industry require a degree of certainty about new materials that necessitates more in-reactor testing.</p>
<p>“Silicon carbide remains a very promising material, and it’s sitting in our reactor even as we speak,” he says. But there are also concerns that some of the ceramic can dissolve in water and&nbsp;travel downstream, and that the material may not have the necessary level of “elastic forgiveness,” he says, tending to crack and shatter under stress.</p>
<p>Nevertheless, for Carpenter, this represents a fascinating engineering challenge. He imagines solutions that might involve weaving silicon fibers to achieve the required ductility, to enable a ceramic material to behave like a metal under some circumstances.</p>
<p>As he investigates these possibilities, Carpenter is also invested in novel work on behalf of clients. Among these is a multi-university project funded by the U.S. Department of Energy to develop a high-temperature, salt-cooled reactor. “The design is intrinsically safe because the fuel doesn’t melt, and the salt can withstand high temperatures without requiring thick, pressurized containment buildings,” he says. “You can generate more power, more efficiently, and salt-cooled reactors are inherently much safer,” he says.</p>
<p>The challenges to designing this new kind of reactor involve finding optimal construction materials, since super-hot&nbsp;radioactive salt is highly&nbsp;corrosive. Carpenter is tasked with figuring out how to configure the MITR to simulate a reactor operating at 700 degrees Celsius&nbsp;with molten salt. He must also contend with the radioactive tritium that is released when neutron radiation hits salt.</p>
<p>“Much of our work involves creating a special environment in the reactor,” he says. “Our job is to help clients figure out a practical way of answering the questions they’re posing.”</p>
<p>To perform his job, Carpenter must be a jack of all trades, whether using robot arms to manipulate&nbsp;projects in the reactor hot cells, or performing computational simulations. “I get to have a hand in pretty much everything, from plumbing, electrical work, and programming to conceptual design and installations,” he says.</p>
<p>This comes naturally to the former Eagle Scout from Atlanta who also enjoyed assembling scale models of Star Trek’s Starship Enterprise. He says&nbsp;a “bring a parent to school” event helped&nbsp;seed&nbsp;his interest in nuclear energy. “A parent who worked for a nuclear utility company brought plastic fuel pellets to our class, and told us that one actual nuclear pellet represented tons of coal and barrels of oil,” he recalls. “I took that pellet home and taped it to my wall, and the idea that nuclear energy could do that really stuck with me.”</p>
<p>When Carpenter arrived at MIT, a classmate easily nudged him toward pursuing nuclear science and engineering as a major. It was a short leap&nbsp;for Carpenter to seek out work at the campus reactor.</p>
<p>“I got involved in research I liked, and kept doing it, with different experiments blossoming into my undergraduate thesis, then my graduate thesis, and then it seemed natural to keep working in the same lab,” he says.</p>
<p>Though he never intended to stay this long, Carpenter says he is “really happy" with the work going on at the NRL. He says he is seeing a new wave of interest in nuclear technology research, and looks forward to cultivating students who bring the kind of commitment he felt when he first joined.</p>
<p>“It would be great to stay long enough to see the silicon carbide materials program grow from sketches on paper to being implemented in reactors,” he says. “I hope I’ll be around to see it.”</p>
“I do have a sense of mission, an interest in pushing nuclear engineering to gain more acceptance, developing a real piece of technology for the future that can bring a carbon-free source of substantial energy,” says MIT's David Carpenter.Photo: Susan YoungProfile, Nuclear power and reactors, Energy, Nuclear science and engineering, Staff, School of Engineering, Nuclear Reactor LabMindHandHeart announces the newest round of Innovation Fund winnershttps://news.mit.edu/2017/mindhandheart-announces-newest-round-of-innovation-fund-winners-0515
Eleven projects have been selected to bring creative wellness and mental health programming to campus.Mon, 15 May 2017 15:45:01 -0400Maisie O’Brien | MindHandHeart Initiativehttps://news.mit.edu/2017/mindhandheart-announces-newest-round-of-innovation-fund-winners-0515<p>MindHandHeart has announced its newest <a href="http://mindhandheart.mit.edu/innovation-fund" target="_blank">Innovation Fund</a> winners, tapping into the MIT community’s passionate hearts, dedicated hands, and talented minds. Sponsored by the <a href="https://chancellor.mit.edu/" target="_blank">Office of the Chancellor</a> and <a href="https://medical.mit.edu/" target="_blank">MIT Medical</a>, this was the <a href="http://mindhandheart.mit.edu/innovation-fund/grant-recipients" target="_blank">fifth round</a> of the Innovation Fund, which provides grants to projects championing wellness, community, and mental health awareness on campus.</p>
<p>The fund has awarded $33,581 to 11 new proposals selected from a pool of 29 applicants. Applications were reviewed by MindHandHeart’s <a href="https://mindhandheart.mit.edu/working-groups" target="_blank">working group</a> members as well as a selection committee comprised of representatives from the Undergraduate Association and Graduate Student Council. Awarded projects will focus on a range of topics from suicide prevention to a 24-hour community building challenge to a video series profiling faculty members.</p>
<p>“The newest round of Innovation Fund winners speaks to the creativity and entrepreneurial spirit of the MIT community,” said MindHandHeart Executive Administrator <a href="https://medical.mit.edu/find-a-provider/maryanne-kirkbride" target="_blank">Maryanne Kirkbride</a>. “I was moved by each of the applications and their dedication to advancing well-being, and I was thrilled to see that over half of the awarded projects were student-driven.”</p>
<p>First-year student Rosanna Zhang was awarded funding to spearhead “Project 24,” a grassroots challenge encouraging MIT students to initiate conversations with six people in 24 hours. Zhang describes her motivation for starting the project saying: “Spontaneous conversations give people the opportunity to connect with others on campus and be exposed to different perspectives. They can also help to normalize discussing challenges and show students that help-seeking is not as difficult as they had imagined. I hope “Project 24” will help to create a friendly and compassionate community where people don’t lose sight of their dreams and feelings.”</p>
<p>Another student-led Innovation Fund winner, “We are MIT,” consists of a video platform where students can submit short videos on a particular theme and compete for prizes. “We are MIT” founder Katrine Tjoelsen, a grad student in electrical engineering and computer science, says: “The project will provide a counter narrative to the idea of the ‘MIT bubble’ and show that our community is full of interesting people with unique intellectual interests, political perspectives, and crazy hobbies. We hope students will create and share videos full of positive emotion that will contribute to a cultural shift towards valuing joy and well-being.”</p>
<p>Director of physical education <a href="http://www.mitathletics.com/information/directory/moore_carrie00.html?view=bio" target="_blank">Carrie Sampson Moore</a> was awarded a grant to pilot two classes addressing the holistic health needs of MIT undergraduate students. The “Healthy Relationships and Healthy Body Fitness Course” is designed to make students better informed about the differences between healthy and abusive relationships, and reduce risky sexual behavior. The “Meditation/Fitness” course will promote wellness through meditation and other techniques proven to reduce stress and build resiliency.</p>
<p><a href="https://medical.mit.edu/find-a-provider/rheinila-fernandes" target="_blank">Rheinila Fernandes</a>, a psychiatrist in MIT Medical’s <a href="https://medical.mit.edu/services/mental-health-counseling" target="_blank">Mental Health and Counseling</a> department, and Naomi Carton, associate dean of <a href="https://studentlife.mit.edu/dining/residential-dining" target="_blank">Residential Life and Dining</a>, were awarded a grant to pilot “Wellness Buddies.” The program consists of a weekly dinner seminar where students are provided with life skills instruction and paired with a “wellness buddy” whom they can meet with to set goals and gauge progress. Each session is part of a neuroscience-based curriculum designed to educate students about how healthy nutrition, exercise, sleep hygiene, mindfulness, and growth mindset can improve academic performance.</p>
<p>“Often students will let self-care fall by the wayside during busy times,” says Fernandes. “It is our hope that creating a community and structure around self-care activities will help students cope with stress and function more effectively throughout the semester.”&nbsp;</p>
<p>Other projects funded this cycle include: “Neurodiversity at MIT and Design for Everyone,” a panel discussion exploring the experiences of neuroatypical students and barriers to inclusion; “Post-MIT: An MIT Story of Sticky Situations and the Stickies that Helped us Stick it Out,” an event showcasing how two graduate students used friendship, humor, and sticky notes to overcome adversity; “Pre-finals Care Packages,” the distribution of care packages during finals period; “The S Word,” a film screening about individuals impacted by suicide and a group discussion moderated by staff from Mental Health and Counseling; “American Sign Language (ASL) and Deaf Culture Classes for MIT,” classes and social events related to ASL; and “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIJXccw9VkEXq7bNNoKlqvA" target="_blank">Tea with Teachers</a>,” a student-led video series aiming to bridge the gap between students and professors.</p>
<p>To date, the fund has awarded over $130,000 to 40 projects that have impacted the MIT community in countless ways. 11 projects have become self-sustaining and have found a permanent home on campus, like <a href="http://news.mit.edu/2016/my-sisters-keeper-builds-community-for-black-women-students-1110" target="_self">My Sister’s Keeper</a> and the <a href="http://news.mit.edu/2016/mit-puppy-lab-open-during-national-mental-health-awareness-month-0504" target="_self">Puppy Lab</a>, and 16 are ongoing with support from MindHandHeart.</p>
<p>Previous projects funded through the Innovation Fund include: <a href="http://tll.mit.edu/design/you-belong-mit" target="_blank">You Belong @ MIT</a>, a three-phase initiative promoting academic belonging organized by the <a href="http://tll.mit.edu/" target="_blank">Teaching and Learning Lab</a>; the <a href="http://news.mit.edu/2017/open-mind-open-art-project-0315" target="_self">OpenMind::OpenArt</a> project, an art studio and public gallery raising awareness of mental health issues on campus; <a href="http://news.mit.edu/2016/algorithm-connects-students-to-interesting-people-on-campus-1017" target="_self">MIT Connect</a>, a digital platform pairing like-minded members of the MIT community for platonic, one-on-one lunches; and “<a href="https://soulstrong.mit.edu/" target="_blank">Portraits of Resilience</a>,” a book capturing MIT community members’ personal stories of overcoming adversity, curated by Professor <a href="http://people.csail.mit.edu/dnj/" target="_blank">Daniel Jackson</a>.</p>
<p>To learn more about how MIT faculty, students, and staff members can apply for grants of up to $10,000, visit the <a href="http://mindhandheart.mit.edu/innovation-fund" target="_blank">MindHandHeart Innovation Fund</a> page. For more information on upcoming events organized by Innovation Fund winners, visit the MindHandHeart <a href="http://mindhandheart.mit.edu/events#calendar" target="_blank">events calendar</a>.</p>
Spring 2017 Innovation Fund winners gather at a training session organized by MindHandHeart.Photo: Maisie O'BrienMindHandHeart, MIT Medical, Community, Mental health, Student life, Students, Faculty, Staff, Grants, Campus services, ChancellorMelissa Nobles announces recipients of the 2017 SHASS Infinite Mile Awardshttps://news.mit.edu/2017/melissa-nobles-announces-shass-infinite-mile-awards-0512
Awards presented to five exceptional staff members of the MIT community.
Fri, 12 May 2017 17:45:01 -0400School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Scienceshttps://news.mit.edu/2017/melissa-nobles-announces-shass-infinite-mile-awards-0512<p>Melissa Nobles, the Kenan Sahin Dean of the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (SHASS), has announced five winners of the SHASS Infinite Mile Awards for 2017. The awards, presented each year at a festive luncheon, salute members of the SHASS staff who have made exceptional contributions to their academic units, the school, and the Institute.</p>
<p><strong>Barbara Keller</strong>, administrative assistant in the Department of Anthropology, won this year's Inclusion Award<em>. </em>“Logistically speaking, it would be difficult for me to offer such rich programming to my students without Barbara Keller's help,” one of her nominators wrote. “However, the enthusiasm that she brings to working together also creates an incentive of its own. For instance, when I brought a master Japanese calligrapher to speak to one of my classes, Barbara walked across campus just to meet the instructor (with whom she had been emailing for weeks to orchestrate the visit) and to gather information about how she might try calligraphy herself. It is truly an honor to work with someone whose enthusiasm is so conspicuous and contagious!” On receiving the award, Keller said, “My five-year anniversary at MIT is this week, May 12. I have been in Anthropology all five years, for a good reason: I love it here!”</p>
<p><strong>Luis "Cuco" Daglio</strong>, multimedia specialist in Music and Theater Arts, won an Unsung Hero Award.<em> </em>“Cuco joined Music and Theater arts two years ago as the very first multimedia specialist. It already feels like he has been here a decade and makes one wonder how in the world we 'did it all' without him before,” one nominator wrote. “It is unimaginable. ...&nbsp;Cuco expertly records concerts and provides sound reinforcement as well for jazz concerts in Killian and Kresge Auditorium. He also created and now maintains a recording archive database for MTA. His technical support spills over to areas that are not his responsibility, for example, lighting and video editing.” On receiving the award, Daglio said, “I love working with live performing arts, I love having technical challenges to solve … but most — I love seeing the performers that I work for at ease on stage doing what they do best and trusting me with the rest!”</p>
<p><strong>Ana Ludwig</strong>, human resources and financial assistant in the Office of the Dean, won an Unsung Hero Award.<strong> </strong>“Anyone who knows the inner workings of the&nbsp;SHASS Dean's office&nbsp;will think immediately of Ana Ludwig,” one of her nominators wrote. “Senior Human Resources Representative, Ana Ludwig greets every newcomer and offers help and welcome to all new staff. She also works tirelessly&nbsp;behind the scenes to keep&nbsp;everything running, and does impeccably detailed financial work for the School. We cannot say enough about&nbsp;her enthusiastic, accurate, and attentive work.” Receiving the award, Ludwig said, “Being recognized by my&nbsp;colleagues in SHASS and MIT was&nbsp;such an honor. Finding out that the committee named me as&nbsp;recipient has put a pep in my step!”</p>
<p><strong>Albert Wang and Daniel Irvine</strong>, systems administrator lead and systems administrator (respectively) in the Office of the Dean, won the Unsung Hero Team Award.<em> </em>“Dan and Albert are a phenomenal resource to our program, and to our school," one nominator wrote. "They are deeply knowledgeable and have so many insightful ideas about how to improve productivity, optimize technology, and avert disaster. Perhaps more importantly, they are eager and willing to share their knowledge with a sense of good humor. They are also indispensable for their knowledge of security and privacy issues since our faculty often times do research in the field. What may be okay to take to one country in terms of what's on your laptop or tablet, would not be advisable in another country. Before any of our faculty travel, we advise them to talk to Albert or Dan.&nbsp;What I personally value the most with both Albert and Dan is that no question seems too basic for them and they graciously explain answers to me so that I completely understand them.”<em> </em>On receiving the award, Wang said, “What’s the best part? Helping people, problem solving, and teaching everyone how computer technology works and how to better protect yourself from the bad guys in cyberspace.” Irvine added, “I love working with the staff, professors, and researchers. It leads to a diverse set of needs that always present me with a new and challenging problem to resolve.”</p>
2017 SHASS Infinite Mile Award recipients pose with Dean Melissa Nobles. Left to right: Daniel Irvine, Albert Wang, Luis "Cuco" Daglio, Melissa Nobles, Ana Ludwig, and Barbara Keller.Photo: Jim VaiknoraAwards, honors and fellowships, Staff, Anthropology, Arts, Music and theater arts, Humanities, Social sciences, SHASSRevolutionizing global healthhttps://news.mit.edu/2017/revolutionizing-global-health-rich-fletcher-0426
In more than 20 years working on wireless sensors and radio frequency identification (RFID), Richard Fletcher has produced several startups and over a dozen patents.Wed, 26 Apr 2017 17:25:01 -0400Daniel de Wolff | MIT Industrial Liaison Programhttps://news.mit.edu/2017/revolutionizing-global-health-rich-fletcher-0426<p>MIT research scientist Richard Fletcher directs the Mobile Technology Group at MIT D-Lab, which develops a variety of mobile sensors, analytic tools, and diagnostic algorithms to study problems in global health and behavior medicine. Utilizing mobile technologies — which include smartphones, wearable sensors, and the so-called <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_of_things" target="_blank">internet of things</a> — his group applies these technologies to real-world social problems with global implications. These issues involve a variety of areas, such as environmental monitoring and air pollution, agriculture, farming, and global health.</p>
<p>Fletcher notes that public health is of enormous importance and includes a wide range of diseases and conditions. His work at D-Lab has a myriad of applications: Sometimes this means simply doing better point-of-care diagnosis of acute or chronic diseases; other times, the focus is on screening and identifying those who are sick but don’t realize it. “For example, consider the fact that every two minutes around the world a woman dies in childbirth. This is something that is for the most part preventable if problems can be detected ahead of time,” Fletcher says.</p>
<p>Fletcher’s group also creates tools that promote healthier behaviors and lifestyles. In addition to cardiometabolic diseases, such as diabetes, he points to the multitude of mental health disorders, like depression, anxiety disorders, sleep disorders, and the crisis of substance abuse, which negatively impact millions of lives, as areas that are in severe need of better solutions. His work seeks to apply technology to address many of these fundamental social problems affecting people on a daily basis.</p>
<p>“Mobile technology is a double-edged sword,” says Fletcher. “Addiction to smartphones and social media are emerging as serious problems, and most mobile health apps on the market have never been validated or tested clinically. But our group is trying to change that, and demonstrate that mobile technology can be a powerful tool to positively impact people’s health.”</p>
<p>While some might question whether this type of public health work has a place at an engineering school, Fletcher insists that the combination of technical knowledge coupled with the freedom to seek out novel approaches to design flaws are part of what makes MIT D-Lab the ideal setting for the work. Fletcher’s philosophy with regard to the intersection of technology and health is global. He is adamant in his belief that the design constraints encountered in the developing world must be considered and confronted in the early stages of design. While health researchers and doctors don’t generally have the luxury of designing their technology, and instead usually customize what is available, Fletcher’s group is uniquely interdisciplinary and designs everything from the ground up: from the electronic circuit boards and firmware to the software and the algorithms to the network communications and server-side software. He believes the incorporation of this knowledge will ultimately produce a superior product, best suited to the end customer and their constraints.</p>
<p>“Having this feedback loop that extends from the early stages of technology development all the way to clinical field studies, is the true marriage of technology and global and public health,” Feltcher says. In his view, developing countries need the most advanced technology that is simplified so it may be used by people with lower technical skills and less training. But Fletcher is quick to point out that this doesn’t mean dumbed-down versions. Rather, the opposite is true; the tools must be endowed with an extremely high level of intelligence, including machine learning algorithms to provide diagnostic support, and also the use of technologies such as augmented reality to make the interface easy to use. “We often say, we like to empower ordinary people to do extraordinary things. This is what technology should really be about.”</p>
<p>Global health was not Rich Fletcher’s initial field interest. Rather, he devoted the first stages of his career, including graduate school and time in the military, to the development of wireless sensors and radio frequency identification (RFID). At that time, he was interested in the early visions of the internet of things, which led to thinking about ubiquitous computing. One of the fundamental tenets of that vision was that every object in our environment should have its own unique ID. Fletcher worked with Kevin Ashton at Proctor and Gamble, who coined the term “internet of things” together with his MIT advisor Neil Gershenfeld. Building on his five-year research experience at the U.S. Air Force Materials Lab, Fletcher worked with Gershenfeld to create unique ID codes embedded within smart materials themselves.</p>
<p>“Every material has its own electromagnetic signature,” he explains, “and you can use that signature to identify the things in your environment.” The next step in the puzzle involved researching how to apply material structures to do the sensing in the environment. Fletcher says, “You not only want the devices in your environment to have an ID, and be able to talk to them, but you also want them to sense what is going on. Things as simple as light, vibration, temperature, and so forth.” He created sensors made from low-cost materials, which spawned his startup Tag-Sense, and spinoffs including Fresh Temp, which was acquired a few months ago by internet of things company Digi.</p>
<p>Working with one of the world’s first RFID companies, Indala Corporation, and then later MIT groups led by Gershenfeld and MIT Professor Sanjay Sarma, Fletcher has been integral to the evolution of RFID technology. From identification, to sensing, to communication protocol that allows these things to talk to one another, and even to the idea of energy harvesting, or how to use vibration, light, and heat to power these things and create micro-batteries or energy harvesting circuits. After completing his PhD at the Media Lab, Fletcher also built sensors for living plants and agriculture, inspired by JC Bose in Calcutta, India, who was one of the first people to detect and produce radio waves in the late 1800s. Bose proved that plants have primitive nervous systems and can communicate with their environments. It was this work with signals that attracted Fletcher to the signals produced by biological systems and the living things themselves (i.e., plants, animals, humans). “I discovered that there is enormous complexity in these signals, and an enormous opportunity to explore these signals for health applications. I also learned that we can apply machine learning and other advanced analysis to the data produced by humans, animals, and plants, and be able to create some very powerful tools for analyzing and improving our health.” Fletcher then went on to build wearable sensors for children with autism with Professor Rosalind Picard at the MIT Media Lab and also made wearable sensors for monkeys and primates with Institute Professor Ann Graybiel, who studies the neuroscience of addiction.</p>
<p>Working with smartphones led Fletcher to the realm of mental health. With the phone’s ability to deliver images, videos, and sounds, and connect to other people, Fletcher suggests we can think of our phones as a drug delivery device, capable of delivering therapy outside the clinic. Creative utilization of the technology has spawned forward thinking models for helping those in need. For example, his group has recently partnered with a preeminent yoga school in India to develop mobile tools that will help train people to meditate as a means to alleviate stress and manage pain.</p>
<p>Fletcher also recognizes the difficulties inherent in mobile technologies and wearable sensors. Oftentimes those who need these technologies are the most resistant to wearing them (for example, elderly people or people with mental health issues). For this reason, he and his group are developing technologies that can measure physiology and monitor behavior in a non-contact manner, without the need for wearable sensors, utilizing devices such as low-cost Doppler radar devices imbedded in car seats, walls, or furniture, to measure heart rate and respiration. He also uses special cameras and thermal imaging, even odors emitted from the human body. All of these technologies and signals can tell us about our health. In his eyes, this “ubiquitous sensing” is the future direction of the field.</p>
<p>An essential element to Rich Fletcher’s work is the desire for his research have a significant impact in the real world. As such, entrepreneurship, and by extension partnering with individuals, startup companies, or organizations, is integral to his endeavors. Because Fletcher is interested in sustainability of the product and the business model. It is not only a marriage of technology and health, but also an embrace of the multi-faceted process required to positively impact the world. “Now is really an exciting time,” Fletcher says. “The vision we had 20 years ago of the internet of things is now finally becoming a reality. Now that the technology has matured, we’re starting to look at what we can do with these technologies and what is possible. And that’s what my group does today. We look at how we can apply all these wonderful mobile wireless technologies in ways that can have real social impact and apply them to solve real social problems.”</p>
Richard Fletcher, research scientist in the MIT D-LabPhoto: David SellaProfile, Staff, D-Lab, Wireless, Media Lab, internet of things, Health, Mental health, Behavior, School of Architecture and Planning, Industry, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (I&E), Developing countriesLetter regarding the new director of MIT’s Washington Officehttps://news.mit.edu/2017/letter-regarding-new-director-mit-washington-office-0425
Tue, 25 Apr 2017 12:30:00 -0400MIT News Officehttps://news.mit.edu/2017/letter-regarding-new-director-mit-washington-office-0425<p><em>The following email was sent today to the MIT community by President L. Rafael Reif.</em></p>
<p>To the members of the MIT community,</p>
<p>I share the news that MIT's Washington Office will soon have a new leader: policy advocate David Goldston. The role was previously held by Bill Bonvillian, who stepped down in January.</p>
<p>A native New Yorker, David has worked in Washington for more than 30 years, both inside and outside government, from serving as chief of staff for the House Committee on Science, to his most recent role as director of government affairs and director of the Center for Policy Advocacy for the Natural Resources Defense Council.</p>
<p>Drawing on his deep knowledge of federal science policy and the people who shape it, David is primed to advocate for government policies that allow science and technology to thrive, as well as for using science to shape sound policy in general. He has extensive experience in bridging partisan policy divides, beginning as an aide to a Republican congressman who was a leading voice on the environment. An adjunct professor of science policy at Georgetown, David is also eager to help our students learn how Washington works.</p>
<p>You can learn more about David's expertise and experience on <a href="http://news.mit.edu/2017/david-goldston-lead-mit-washington-office-0425">MIT News</a>.</p>
<p>MIT's Washington office has a singular record of advocating for the nation's research and educational enterprise generally, and of helping to shape important new policy directions, from advanced manufacturing to learning science. In this complex time, we need more than ever a strong and influential presence in DC.</p>
<p>I look forward to working with David in the town he knows so well, as we strive to make the case for all that MIT represents. Please join me in welcoming him to our team – and in thanking the advisory committee to the search, led by Professor Claude Canizares, which brought David to our attention.</p>
<p>Sincerely,</p>
<p>L. Rafael Reif</p>
Letters to the Community, Staff, Policy, Research, Government, Political science, Politics, Funding, Administration, President L. Rafael ReifDavid Goldston to lead MIT Washington Officehttps://news.mit.edu/2017/david-goldston-lead-mit-washington-office-0425
Former Capitol Hill aide and policy advocate has worked with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.Tue, 25 Apr 2017 10:55:00 -0400Kathy Wren | MIT News Officehttps://news.mit.edu/2017/david-goldston-lead-mit-washington-office-0425<p>David Goldston, a policy advocate with decades of experience on Capitol Hill, has been named the new director of MIT’s Washington Office, effective May 1.</p>
<p>The appointment was announced today in a letter to the MIT community from President L. Rafael Reif.</p>
<p>“Drawing on his deep knowledge of federal science policy and the people who shape it, David is primed to advocate for government policies that allow science and technology to thrive, as well as for using science to shape sound policy in general,” Reif says.</p>
<p>Goldston will succeed <a href="http://news.mit.edu/2016/3q-william-bonvillian-cambridge-capitol-hill-1103">William Bonvillian</a>, who stepped down from the position in January after 11 years of service.</p>
<p>“I look forward to working with David in the town he knows so well, as we strive to make the case for all that MIT represents,” Reif says, thanking the advisory committee to the search, led by Professor Claude Canizares, for its work in the process.</p>
<p>Formed in 1991 as part of MIT’s Office of the President, the Washington Office facilitates a two-way flow of information between the Institute and Washington. The office shares findings by MIT experts with decision makers in the White House, Congress, national research and development agencies, and other Washington organizations. The office also informs MIT’s leadership and faculty of federal policy developments relevant to science, engineering, and innovation.</p>
<p>“A large part of the appeal of this job to me is the range of activities that the Washington Office engages in,” Goldston says. “The office isn’t narrowly lobbying for MIT. It’s concerned about a wide spectrum of issues including those that affect the education community and the science community broadly.”</p>
<p>Goldston says he was also attracted to the job because of the opportunity it offers to work with MIT students; he cites MIT’s Science Policy Initiative, through which the Washington Office engages students in the policymaking process, as an example.</p>
<p>Goldston will take the helm of the Washington Office at time when the future of federal funding for R&amp;D — already a significantly smaller percentage of GDP than it was during the 1960s and ’70s — is more uncertain than ever. President Trump’s proposed budget for the next fiscal year includes steep cuts to many federal agencies that fund research in the physical and social sciences, engineering, and other areas. Such a budget “would damage the nation’s position as a global leader in science and innovation,” Reif wrote in a <a href="http://news.mit.edu/2017/letter-regarding-federal-funding-priorities-mits-budget-0327">March 27 letter</a> to the MIT community.</p>
<p>Under Goldston’s leadership, the MIT Washington Office will continue to engage with policymakers about the scientific evidence underlying challenging policy issues, while encouraging the support of science, engineering, and higher education.</p>
<p>“MIT is especially well-placed in Washington because of the nature of its reputation as both an intellectual powerhouse and as a university built on technical expertise,” he says.</p>
<p>This is a compelling time to join MIT, Goldston says: “I think for universities, figuring out what their posture in Washington is and the way forward is more of a challenge maybe than it’s ever been, certainly more than it’s been recently.”</p>
<p>Goldston acknowledges that today’s polarized political climate adds difficulty to the work of the MIT Washington Office, but he notes that he’s worked with both political parties over the course of his career. “I’ve learned how to work with people on both sides of the aisle,” he says.</p>
<p>Before coming to MIT, Goldston was the director of government affairs at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), where he coordinated all of the nonprofit organization’s interactions with the federal government and helped shape public communications on federal issues. He joined NRDC in 2009, and in 2014 he also became the director of the Council’s Center for Policy Advocacy, a role that included overseeing the NRDC Action Fund.</p>
<p>Currently an adjunct professor of science policy at Georgetown Unversity, Goldston has been a visiting lecturer at Harvard University and Princeton University. His courses have focused on the role science plays in policymaking, and other issues at the intersection between science and policy. Goldston also wrote a monthly column about these topics called “Party of One” for <em>Nature</em>, from 2007 to 2009.</p>
<p>From 2001 to 2006, he served as the chief of staff for the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Science. In this position oversaw a staff of 40 with jurisdiction over federal science funding agencies including NASA, the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy and the National Institute of Standards and Technology, among others.</p>
<p>Goldston graduated from Cornell University in 1978 with a BA in history and completed coursework for a PhD in American history at the University of Pennsylvania. He began his career on Capitol Hill in 1983, serving over the years as a press secretary, legislative director, and Science Committee staffer for Sherwood Boehlert, then a Republican congressman from upstate New York and a leading voice for science and for the environment in the Congress.</p>
Staff, Policy, Research, Government, Political science, Administration, Politics, Funding, President L. Rafael ReifComing together for a day of service and activismhttps://news.mit.edu/2017/day-service-civic-engagement-0420
Local volunteer projects and an extensive civic-engagement program draw more than 1,100 MIT community members.Thu, 20 Apr 2017 16:00:00 -0400Rob Matheson | MIT News Officehttps://news.mit.edu/2017/day-service-civic-engagement-0420<p>Showing a spirit of togetherness, more than 1,100 MIT community members on Tuesday joined forces for good causes — by rolling up their sleeves for numerous local community service projects or participating in an extensive civic-engagement program on campus.</p>
<p>Throughout the day, about 125 faculty, students, and staff spread out across 16 nonprofits in Cambridge and Boston, as part of the second annual Together in Service Day, organized by the <a href="https://studentlife.mit.edu/pkgcenter">Priscilla King Gray (PKG) Public Service Center</a>,&nbsp;<a href="http://web.mit.edu/community-giving/">Community Giving at MIT</a>, and the&nbsp;<a href="http://ogcr.mit.edu/">Office of Government and Community Relations</a>. Several MIT offices and departments also partnered&nbsp;with nonprofits on collection drives for food, and school and art supplies.</p>
<p>“Together in Service gives the MIT community the opportunity to see some of the vital work that Cambridge and Boston-area nonprofits are doing,&nbsp;and to make a personal contribution to their efforts,” said Kate Trimble, co-chair of Together in Service Day and senior director of the PKG Public Service Center. “Engaging with pressing social issues, learning from local experts, helping our neighbors in&nbsp;need — these are really expressions of MIT’s mission to work for the ‘betterment of humankind.’”</p>
<p>Together in Service organizers also used the day to initiate a fundraiser for a new all-purpose van for the Margaret Fuller Neighborhood House, a nonprofit organization in Cambridge — and frequent volunteer spot for MIT students — that provides a free computer lab and computer classes, a food pantry, meeting rooms for public activities, and after-school services and summer camp for children.</p>
<p>Back on campus, the Day of Engagement, Day of Action — organized by a group of undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, staff, and postdocs from all five MIT schools —&nbsp;drew about 1,000 MIT community members to nearly 80 activity sessions held across campus, which focused on major political, economic, and social challenges. Sessions included lectures, panels, workshops, poster presentations, film showings, poetry readings, music performances, and food-preparation tables, among other activities.</p>
<p>In addition to introducing participants to diverse perspectives in hopes of revealing common ground, the program also aimed to “promote a norm” of civic engagement among the MIT community, said co-organizer Roger Levy, an associate professor of brain and cognitive sciences.</p>
<p>“Being engaged and taking action is about persistent, sustained involvement, integrating it as part of your life,” he said. “Being a member of a university is not just about staying inside and working on problems. MIT’s mission is also about bringing knowledge to bear on the world’s great challenges, and that’s [at] the heart of civic engagement.”</p>
<p><strong>Together in service</strong></p>
<p>The Margaret Fuller Neighborhood House was one location where several groups of MIT students and staff took separate shifts throughout the day, making breakfast for some of the house’s regular visitors, and cleaning and organizing rooms.</p>
<p>“MIT cares deeply about its host communities,” said Sarah Gallop, co-chair of Together in Service Day and co-director of the Office of Government and Community Relations. “While we partner year-round with local agencies that support residents, it’s very meaningful for us to roll up our sleeves as one community on behalf of our neighbors.”</p>
<p>Heidi Bluming, senior director of programs at the Margaret Fuller Neighborhood House, said Together in Service Day provides valuable volunteers who, in turn, can learn about the people and issues in their own community. “It’s community engagement,” Bluming said. “Understanding all the different facets of what this community has to offer, and what MIT can give too. It’s a mutually beneficial relationship.”</p>
<p>Alexis Cuellar, a senior in biological engineering, was one of three Phi Kappa Sigma fraternity brothers who spent the afternoon cleaning the house’s food pantry. Volunteering helps students glimpse life beyond their dorm rooms and classes, he said. “At MIT, students are very focused on their studies and what they’re trying to accomplish for their own lives. But it helps to realize there are other people in need,” he said while scrubbing down the lid of a freezer. “Part of MIT’s mission is helping better mankind.”</p>
<p>A few miles away, at the John M. Tobin Montessori School in Cambridge, students and staff spent a chilly morning and afternoon working outside for CitySprouts, a program that plants gardens at elementary schools and creates curricula around agriculture, food, nutrition, and the environment. Among other projects, the students replaced wooden borders around small gardens, moved vegetation, and made dozens of stakes children can place in the dirt to label their crops.&nbsp; &nbsp;</p>
<p>Greg Beach, garden coordinator for CitySprouts, said MIT’s program provided a much-needed boost in productivity for the day. “Right now, we’re replacing three garden beds, and it’s just something that wouldn’t happen if we didn’t have support from organizations like MIT,” said Beach, about an hour into the volunteer shift.</p>
<p><br />
Economics undergraduate student Olivia Zhao used the CitySprouts volunteer opportunity to get some fresh air while contributing to a good cause. “We used to garden a lot back home, so it’s good to get back to it,” she said. “Whenever you do anything public service-related, there’s a personal value to it, and it’s also really nice to explore the community we live in.”</p>
<p>The other Boston and Cambridge volunteer locations were CASPAR, Cambridge Community Television, Cambridge Science Festival, Charles River Conservancy, Rosie’s Place, Women’s Lunch Place, People Making a Difference, Esplanade Association, ReVision Urban Farm, The Food Project, Room to Grow, Community Servings, Greater Boston Food Bank, Fresh Pond Reservation, and InnerCity Weightlifting.</p>
<p><strong>Together in action</strong></p>
<p>On MIT’s campus, signs posted all over halls and on doors directed an estimated 1,000 attendees to the <a href="https://www.dayofaction.mit.edu/events">dizzying array of sessions</a> for the MIT Day of Engagement, Day of Action. Sessions were organized around four themes: self-awareness, content knowledge, skill building, and taking action.</p>
<p>Some panels and talks brought in MIT experts to discuss social and political issues, including case studies in illiberal democracies, the economics of Brexit, the future of U.S. health care policy, dilemmas surrounding nuclear weaponry, and strategies for improving the quality of jobs.</p>
<p>Professors and students from local universities — including Boston University, Harvard Law School, and Northeastern University — government legislators, and representatives from various local organizations were also on hand to discuss such topics as inequality in federal housing policies, Cambridge as a sanctuary city, perspectives on the global refugee crisis, lessons in nonviolent resistance, securing progressive urban agendas, and promoting neighborhood racial integration.</p>
<p>Speaking in a panel in Building 32-123 about the benefits of introducing a carbon tax in Massachusetts was energy economist Chris Knittel, the George P. Shultz Professor at the MIT Sloan School of Management.</p>
<p>In his talk, Knittel made three key points: Carbon taxes are the most efficient way to cut emissions; each extra ton of atmospheric carbon emissions causes about $40 in global damages; and carbon taxes have been embraced by the government and public elsewhere, most notably in British Columbia since 2008. “We need [a carbon tax]. We can measure how high it should be, and we have good experience and actual evidence that it works,” he said.</p>
<p>A number of workshops gave attendees the chance to discuss recent acts of violence and LGBTQ issues, learn strategies to stop being a “bystander” during tough situations (such as when a friend or coworker makes a sexist joke, or a supervisor publically berates an employee), make “zines” about personal and political issues, and organize a multimedia protest party.</p>
<p>In Building 66, people gathered in a classroom to learn about, sign up for, and make signs for the People’s Climate March in Washington on April 29.</p>
<p>Event co-organizer Josué Lopez, a PhD student in physics and a member of Fossil Free MIT, said the workshop demonstrated that marches can bring diverse groups of people together to impact government and present solidarity around an issue. Lopez marched in the first People’s Climate March in New York City in 2014.</p>
<p>“[Marching] really shows you the power of how communities can move forward agendas and call for action,” he said. “That’s why we’re trying to engage with the MIT community and Cambridge community as a whole —&nbsp;to demonstrate that, and to show how to do it in a peaceful manner that engages different communities.”</p>
<p>Apart from talks, workshops, and panels, there were also world music performances, poetry readings, and literature discussions centered on thinking positively, strengthening communities, and protest. In the Stata Student Center, where food and drink were provided free for attendees, various activities — such as an “Ask a Philosopher” booth, and poster presentations and demonstrations of MIT’s sustainability and climate research —&nbsp;remained open for several hours during the day. For a few hours in the afternoon, attendees also participated in a data rescue session to help back up at-risk federal data resources for the public.</p>
<p>The broad and diverse agenda aimed to encourage people not just to take action but to take action together, Levy said. “In today’s political climate, people in the community may be asking, ‘What can I do?’ The effect I hope we have is turning that question into ‘What can we do together?’” he said.</p>
Throughout Tuesday, about 125 MIT faculty, students, and staff spread out across 16 nonprofits in Cambridge and Boston, as part of the second annual Together in Service Day, organized by the Priscilla King Gray Public Service Center.
Photo: Casey AtkinsSpecial events and guest speakers, Volunteering, outreach, public service, Community, cambridge, Cambridge, Boston and region, Students, Student life, Faculty, Staff, Public Service Center (PSC)3 Questions: Jeanne Guillemin on the recent chemical attack in Syriahttps://news.mit.edu/2017/jeanne-guillemin-discusses-syria-chemical-attack-0420
Security Studies Program expert on biological weapons discusses the April 4 attack on Syrian civilians that killed at least 80.Thu, 20 Apr 2017 15:00:01 -0400Michelle Nhuch | Center for International Studieshttps://news.mit.edu/2017/jeanne-guillemin-discusses-syria-chemical-attack-0420<p><em>On April 4, a <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/20/middleeast/syria-chemical-attack-sarin-opcw/" target="_blank">suspected nerve gas attack</a> killed at least 80 in Khan Sheikhun, in Syria’s Idlib Province. Nikki Haley, the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and the current UN Security Council president, stated shortly after the incident that members "are hoping to get as much information” as they can about the event.</em></p>
<p><em>Jeanne Guillemin, a&nbsp;medical anthropologist and a senior fellow in the&nbsp;MIT Security Studies Program, recently answered a few questions on the attack. Guillemin is an authority on&nbsp;biological weapons&nbsp;and has published four books on the topic.&nbsp;Her latest, "Hidden Atrocities: Japanese Germ Warfare and American Obstruction of Justice at the Tokyo Trial," will be published by Columbia University Press in September.</em></p>
<p><strong>Q. </strong>What do we now know about the attack?</p>
<p><strong>A. </strong>The process of investigation will be difficult, given the ongoing war and secrecy on the part of Syria and others. It seems certain that the regime of Syria’s President al-Assad or some element thereof not only violated treaty obligations regarding chemical weapons but could be complicit in a major war crime.</p>
<p>On a technical level, the chemical agent that caused more than 80 deaths and many injuries has been identified by the United Kingdom as sarin, which accords with medical records. The timing of the attack was April 4 at just before 7 a.m. local time, optimal for dispersal. Much less or nothing is reliably known regarding the munition and its source.</p>
<p>The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), the operational arm of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) in The Hague, is the lead agency for investigating the nerve gas attack. The OPCW can count on assistance from the United Nations Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM), created by the Security Council with all permanent members in agreement. OPCW investigations are kept secret until the final reports are released, which can take months, and their mandate does not extend to identifying perpetrators. The mandate of the JIM is broader and does extend to estimating perpetrators, which makes its eventual report important.</p>
<p><strong>Q. </strong>Based on your expertise on the historical use of chemical weapons, why would Assad strike now? Is he likely to strike again?</p>
<p><strong>A. </strong>The use of chemical weapons in war, starting in April 1915 with the German release of chlorine gas on Allied trenches at Ypres, has invariably been to break an impasse by targeting a defenseless enemy, those lacking protection such as gas masks or antidotes. For Syria, frustration with rebel holdouts in Idlib Province may have provoked the attack; one wonders, though, exactly what authorities reasoned that killing civilians with nerve gas could be carried out without controversy — and without jeopardizing the new potential for cooperation with the Trump administration.</p>
<p>The political furor created by the social media images of the victims make it unlikely that President al-Assad, if he ordered or permitted the attacks, would venture any more. For years, though, Syria has been getting a pass from the international community regarding its less-than-complete compliance with the CWC, to which it acceded in October 2013. In 2014, the belief that Syria’s declaration of its chemical weapons contained gaps and inconsistencies prompted the Director-General of the OPCW to send a special team of technical investigators on 18 trips to Syria to do what proved impossible: to verify that Syria’s declaration was in accordance with the CWC. The UN Security Council was fully advised of OPCW reports, but no action was taken to bring Syria in line.</p>
<p>Currently the Russian government is taking al-Assad's protestations of innocence at face value. At the same time, though, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has spoken strongly in favor of UN investigations and asserted that Syria will be forthcoming about its military activities in the region at the time of the April 4 sarin attack. If evidence points clearly to al-Assad’s forces, which the U.S. government has already publicly blamed, Putin will have to address the difficult problem of regime change in Syria — or risk his own legitimacy by supporting a Syrian president many feel is at best a loose cannon and at worst the murderer of his own people. &nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Q. </strong>What are psychological and physical effects of this kind of attack, and how does one determine who was responsible?</p>
<p><strong>A.</strong> Follow-up information from the 1988 chemical attack in Halabja, Iraq, and the 2013 chemical attack in Ghouta, Syria, illustrates the terrifying impact of aerial chemical attacks on defenseless populations already under siege.<br />
<br />
In Halabja, the attacks with blistering mustard and with sarin, combined with conventional bombings, were part of Saddam Hussein’s punitive objective to eliminate the Kurds from Iraq.<br />
<br />
The unusual strikes on Ghouta and Khan Sheikhun seem more intended to terrify Syrian civilians, that is, to frighten survivors and witnesses (even those watching on the internet) into submission to the enemy aggressor, whose power to rapidly asphyxiate hundreds must seem mythic, especially when done with impunity, without legal repercussions.<br />
<br />
Over time, the criminal responsibility for the April 4 sarin attack might be put on Syrian officials, who may well be prosecuted at the International Criminal Court (ICC). The court’s statute contains language banning the use of poisons taken directly from the Geneva Protocol; the prosecution of murderous attacks on defenseless populations is, of course, central to the ICC mission, regardless of means. The broader responsibility for what has happened in Syria and for the extreme vulnerability of its civilian population throughout the war lies with the international community. This week, one hears the Chinese delegate to the United Nations calling for a political solution, rather than a military showdown between the United States and Russia. After this latest barbarism, is it too much to ask for international safe zones and a cease fire?</p>
Jeanne GuilleminPhoto: Jean-Baptiste Guillemin3 Questions, Syria, Security studies and military, Staff, SHASS, Global, International relations, Center for International StudiesMIT Quarter Century Club welcomes new members for 2017https://news.mit.edu/2017/mit-quarter-century-club-welcomes-new-members-0413
Class includes 99 new members from both the Cambridge campus and Lincoln Laboratory.Thu, 13 Apr 2017 17:30:01 -0400Richard L. Benford | Bonny S. Kellermann | Quarter Century Clubhttps://news.mit.edu/2017/mit-quarter-century-club-welcomes-new-members-0413<p>The MIT Quarter Century Club (QCC), comprising staff and faculty members with 25 years of employment at the Institute, inducted <a href="http://web.mit.edu/qcc/recent.html" target="_blank">99 new members</a> at a March 13 ceremony at the Samberg Conference Center. This year’s class includes 77 inductees from the Cambridge campus and 22 from Lincoln Laboratory. The late Sergeant John Carr of the MIT Police was inducted as an honorary member. In addition, the club recognized 38 members who mark their 50-year anniversary with MIT this fiscal year.</p>
<p>QCC President Yvonne L. Gittens along with the club’s board of directors hosted the event. Also welcoming inductees were fellow QCC member Eric D. Evans, director of Lincoln Laboratory, and Lorraine A. Goffe, vice president for human resources.</p>
<p>The luncheon’s keynote speaker, QCC member Philip S. Khoury, associate provost and the Ford International Professor of History, honored inductees and members of the 50-year gold class. Khoury’s presentation focused on MIT’s uniqueness, in particular its commitment to being a meritocracy, and how MIT has changed, within and beyond the classroom, over the 25 years since the inductees started working at MIT. He also spoke on a topic near and dear to his heart, MIT’s outstanding architecture and public art collection. Lorraine A. Goffe closed the ceremony by offering appreciation for members’ commitment to MIT and the tremendous value of their Institutional knowledge.</p>
<p>Following the induction, new member Claudia LaBolitta-James, assistant to the department head for the Department of Physics, reflected on the swift passage of time and a special history shared by MIT colleagues, “For me, joining the QCC is a wonderful acknowledgement by MIT of my service with the Institute. Twenty-five years here have literally flown by and meeting other QCC members and sharing our work and social histories at the induction luncheon was a wonderful and uplifting experience."</p>
<p>The club awards a recognition gift to new inductees and hosts three annual events, which provide an opportunity to promote good fellowship among long-term employees of the MIT community.</p>
<p>A special resource available to retired QCC members is the <a href="http://web.mit.edu/qcc/dickson.html" target="_blank">William R. Dickson Retiree Education Fund</a>, established to honor Bill Dickson, senior vice president of the Institute, upon his retirement in 1998. This scholarship program supports retired members in the pursuit of their educational, hobby, health, wellness, and fitness instruction. Retired QCC members interested in learning more are encouraged to contact the <a href="http://web.mit.edu/qcc/index.html" target="_blank">Quarter Century Club</a> at <a href="mailto:qcc-reply@mit.edu">qcc-reply@mit.edu</a> or 617-253-7914.</p>
<p>The club was formed by a union of two organizations: the Silver Club, founded in 1946, for female faculty and staff; and the Quarter Century Club, founded in 1950, by a group of men from among the hourly personnel. In 1970, membership of the QCC expanded to include faculty and all staff. Finally, in 1974, the clubs were merged into one Quarter Century Club to encompass the entire Institute community. Today, the club is comprised of 4,374 active and retired members; 182 members have served the Institute for more than 50 years.</p>
<p>New QCC member Thomas Hrycaj, administrative officer at the Plasma Science and Fusion Center, said of his induction: “I was pleased to participate in the Quarter Century Club’s induction luncheon and appreciated the recognition of having reached 25 years of service. It was a pleasant reminder of my good fortune of being affiliated with such a great institution that is a positive influence in the world.”</p>
<p>The Quarter Century Club office is located in MIT Building E19-711. Individuals may contact the club at 617-253-7914 or by <a href="mailto:qcc-reply@mit.edu">email</a>.</p>
Standing, left to right: QCC Board members Felicia Gauthier (Lincoln Laboratory) and Mike Lessard (Haystack Observatory) join Lincoln Laboratory Director Eric Evans in welcoming Lincoln Laboratory employees to the club: Diane Kefalas, Forrest Hunsberger Jr., Melissa Speros, Alexander Speros (Class of 2016), and David Granchelli (standing, right). Photo: Casey AtkinsCommunity, Faculty, Staff, Special events and guest speakersGreg Walton: An inspirational story of successhttps://news.mit.edu/2017/greg-walton-inspirational-story-of-success-0410
Beloved IT service provider and consumer support engineer transformed a tough start into an award-winning career with MIT Information Systems and Technology. Tue, 11 Apr 2017 16:40:01 -0400Danielle Randall | Department of Chemistryhttps://news.mit.edu/2017/greg-walton-inspirational-story-of-success-0410<p>When the need for information technology (IT) service arises, it can be the catalyst for a stressful moment — the user is locked out of their computer, a program isn’t working properly, a file has disappeared, a software update is proving to be more of a headache than an improvement. But ask anyone in the MIT departments of Chemistry and Physics, or the MIT News Office — the Institute divisions that are fortunate enough to have Greg Walton as their IT service provider and consumer support engineer — and they’ll attest to the fact that not only is Walton the best of the best, but whatever the issue is, he will see it through until all involved are completely satisfied with the outcome.</p>
<p>“Greg has been a great help to the Department of Chemistry,” says the department chair and Robert R. Taylor Professor Tim Jamison. “He’s solved a number of IT problems for us, and he always does so with energy, enthusiasm, and optimism.”</p>
<p>Never one to shy away from a problem, Walton arrives on the scene like a comic book superhero, with a seemingly endless amount of positive energy that transforms a technical frustration into an enjoyable interaction, regardless of how many directions he’s being pulled into, or how many other IT fires he’s already put out that day. Walton is persistent, pleasant, and eager to solve the challenges that arise. He employs these attributes on a daily basis in his profession, but the qualities that make him a stellar Institute employee extend far beyond the campus limits.</p>
<p>Part of what makes Walton so adept at helping others is the fact that he is ingrained with an unparalleled amount of self-motivation. After spending his early years in foster care, Walton moved to Boston when he was six years old. At first, he lived with his great-grandmother, and later on a great-aunt, but mostly, he was left to fend for himself. While many children might, understandably, flounder under such unsupervised circumstances, Walton excelled academically and athletically at Brighton High School. He went on to become the first person in his family to graduate from high school, and enrolled at Salem State College.</p>
<p>While it might seem that at this point, the challenging years were behind him, Walton faced further obstacles in his university years, and, lacking the traditional safety net of parents, family members, and mentors, he fell into the wrong crowd of people, left school, and found himself in the exact situation he had worked so hard as a child to avoid — penniless and facing a life on the streets. Rock bottom arrived when Walton was 19 in the form of an arrest for carrying an unregistered firearm. After spending his 21st birthday in prison, he grew more determined than ever to get himself back on track toward the life he’d been so driven to achieve.</p>
<p>After a post-prison stint working at Stop and Shop for $6.75 an hour, Walton seized the chance to enroll in <a href="http://www.yearup.org/" target="_blank">Year Up</a>, a program whose mission is to close the "opportunity divide" by providing urban young adults with the skills, experience, and support that will empower them to reach their potential through professional careers and higher education. Walton remains an active ambassador and advocate for the organization, and in 2011 he became the first Year Up alum to be elected to their national board.</p>
<p>Having laid the groundwork for a career in IT with Year Up, Walton graduated as the leader of his class, but was met with yet another obstacle: His criminal record limited him to low-ceilinged contract jobs for $10.00 an hour. But in June of 2007, armed with gleaming recommendations, Walton was hired as a temp at MIT, where he originally staffed a reception desk. He eventually worked his way up to where he is today — an invaluable asset to three departments.</p>
<p>For the last near-decade, this has been Walton’s legacy, both within MIT and beyond. “I do feel blessed to work at a place like MIT that supports me in doing this,” he says. “I’ve had the ability to tour the country sharing my story to help others in hopes some people may be inspired, as well as hoping employers may look at young adults with tough backgrounds differently.”</p>
<p>In addition to Year Up, he is involved with a number of organizations committed to helping to young adults overcome their troubled pasts. He is a member of the Boston Public Schools’ Committee to dismantle the “School to Prison Pipeline,” and sits on the advisory board of the <a href="http://youth.gov/youth-topics/preventing-youth-violence/forum-communities/boston/reentry-initiative">Boston Re-entry Initiative</a> (BRI), a program dedicated to reducing recidivism — the rate at which former inmates return to prison — which Walton credits as a huge benefit to him during his time in prison. He also <a href="http://us.cnn.com/2016/01/20/us/prison-recidivism-loretta-lynch-suffolk-county/index.html" target="_blank">participated in a roundtable discussion</a> with U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch, sharing his experience with BRI.</p>
<p>These efforts have not not gone unnoticed: Walton was recently <a href="http://www.cnbc.com/2017/04/05/he-spent-21st-birthday-in-prison-now-he-is-a-homeowner-mit-employee.html" target="_blank">highlighted by CNBC</a> as part of their "My Success Story" series, and was featured in an <em>Atlantic</em> article entitled, "<a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/05/billion-dollar-bets/481320/" target="_blank">How to Bet Big on the American Dream</a>." His motivation for sharing his story is simple: He wants his experience to help young adults with a similarly troubled past. His goal is to inspire them to stay determined, to not succumb to discouragement, and to seize opportunities as he did. “At the end of the day,” Greg states, “My family is the most important thing to me, and I am just striving to be the best husband, father, and leader for them I can be.”</p>
<p>This desire to have a positive impact on people’s lives extends seamlessly into his work at MIT, where this year, out of nearly 300 Information Systems and Technology employees, the married father of two was <a href="http://news.mit.edu/2017/exceptional-individuals-honored-at-mit-excellence-awards-and-collier-medal-ceremony-0317" target="_self">honored at the MIT Excellence Awards</a> with <a href="http://hrweb.mit.edu/rewards/recipient/award-recipients/2017/serving-client/greg-walton">an award</a> in the category of Serving the Client. “Giving back is very important to me,” Walton says. “I’ve had so many people invest their time and energy into helping me and so many others, so for me, I feel it would be an injustice not to do so.”</p>
<p>Walton’s success at the Institute, and the value he brings to the departments in his care, are outstanding feats in their own right. But it is the obstacles over which he has triumphed along the way that make his story a genuine inspiration.</p>
“Giving back is very important to me,” MIT staff member Greg Walton says. “I’ve had so many people invest their time and energy into helping me and so many others, so for me, I feel it would be an injustice not to do so.” Here, Walton celebrates with his family after receiving a 2017 MIT Excellence Award. Photo: Melanie Gonick/MITStaff, Profile, Information Systems and Technology, Volunteering, outreach, public service, Chemistry, Physics, School of Science, Human ResourcesDavid Shoemaker named spokesperson for LIGO Scientific Collaborationhttps://news.mit.edu/2017/david-shoemaker-named-ligo-scientific-collaboration-spokesperson-0329
Senior MIT research scientist to speak for international collaboration for gravitational wave detection research.Wed, 29 Mar 2017 11:45:01 -0400Julia C. Keller | School of Sciencehttps://news.mit.edu/2017/david-shoemaker-named-ligo-scientific-collaboration-spokesperson-0329<p>Effective immediately, David Shoemaker, leader of the Advanced Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory Project, will assume the role of spokesperson for the international LIGO Scientific Collaboration.</p>
<p>As spokesperson, Shoemaker will coordinate and speak on behalf of the gravitational wave science carried out by scientists in 15 countries in observatories located in Hanford, Washington, and Livingston, Louisiana, as well as a detector in Hannover, Germany.</p>
<p>“I’m honored and humbled to be able to speak on behalf of my colleagues and our research on gravitational wave detection,” says Shoemaker, a senior research scientist at MIT Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research, who was elected by the LSC’s council members to a two-year term.</p>
<p>“The collaborative work of more than 1,000 scientists and engineers has allowed us to pull the curtains and peek into the new window of the universe that was opened last year,” says Laura Cadonati, a professor in the School of Physics at Georgia Tech, and chair of the LSC’s Data Analysis Council, who will work closely with Shoemaker in his role.</p>
<p>Shoemaker has been working on interferometric instrumentation since the late 1970s when he worked in Professor Emeritus Rai Weiss’ lab, earning his master of science degree from MIT in 1980. After earning his PhD in physics from the University of Paris, Shoemaker returned to the Institute in 1989.</p>
<p>He became head of the MIT group working on LIGO in the early 1990s and later headed up the Advanced LIGO Project. Shoemaker was named a fellow of the American Physical Society for this work in the field.</p>
<p>"We are incredibly proud that David and other MIT scientists have played key roles in the landmark detection of gravitational waves," says Michael Sipser, dean of the School of Science and the Donner Professor of Mathematics. "Grown from Rai Weiss's original concept more than 50 years ago, the LIGO project stands out as a marvelous achievement for science."</p>
<p>“Based on his technical experience and interactive skills with people, I expect as spokesperson of the LIGO Scientific Collaboration, he will help advance both the detector sensitivity and the data analysis,” says Weiss.</p>
<p>The original LIGO Project, led by MIT and Caltech with support the National Science Foundation, established the Livingston and Hanford observatories, reached the instrument design sensitivity, and observed for an extended period. However, they did not have success in detecting gravitational waves during initial operations which ended in 2011.</p>
<p>After an overhaul of the instrumentation for Advanced LIGO, on Sept. 14, 2015, the instruments made the first direct detection of gravitational waves, just two days after scientists restarted observations.&nbsp;</p>
<p>“David’s leadership on the upgrade of the detectors was a major factor in the LIGO Laboratory’s detection of gravitational waves,” says Jacqueline N. Hewitt, director of the MIT Kavli Institute. “He has the deep technical knowledge not only to speak to future LIGO discoveries, but also to help coordinate the research of our collaborators around the globe.”</p>
<p>Three months later, the detectors picked up another signal from another black hole merger, 1.4 billion light years away.</p>
<p>“Now with confirmed observations of binary black holes, we are really eager to see what else the cosmos will deliver in the form of gravitational waves,” says Shoemaker.</p>
<p>In November of last year, scientists restarted the LIGO system after additional improvements were made to increase the observatory’s sensitivity by 10 to 25 percent. With these improvements, the detector in Livingston, Louisiana is a step closer to detecting the gravitational waves from other objects, such as the merger of two neutron stars.</p>
<p>Nergis Mavalvala, part of the MIT LIGO Laboratory team — whose research in the instrumentation development for the interferometric gravitational-wave detectors began as a graduate student at MIT— says she, too, is waiting for that next big leap forward.</p>
<p>“In the next two years, as the LIGO instruments improve, they will, and they should, be able to see more instances of objects such other binary black holes or things we haven’t, as of yet seen, such as coveted binary neutron stars,” says Mavalvala, the Curtis and Kathleen Marble Professor of Astrophysics and the associate head of the Department of Physics.</p>
<p>A neutron star-neutron star merger is thought to be the producer and distributor of heavy metals, such as precious metals, throughout the galaxy.</p>
<p>“But I imagine, there will come a moment in time in which gravitational waves will be observed, and we’ll have no clue what the source is,” Mavalvala says. “There will be something no one predicted.”</p>
<p>Shoemaker adds, “This will be a wonderful moment where we can unravel a mystery story for which the unique key is the gravitational-wave signature.”</p>
<p>Since the second Advanced LIGO detection run began late last year, three possible event candidates have been identified and shared with LSC astronomers. The analysis of these data is still ongoing, according to news shared on the LSC website.</p>
<p>“In addition to providing leadership on the development of future large-scale gravitational wave detectors, David will be a wonderful spokesperson to communicate the exciting new findings on behalf of the collaboration,” says Gabriela González, outgoing spokesperson for the LSC and professor of physics and astronomy at Louisiana State University. “In his role, he will continue to nurture the LSC’s teamwork and help further our mission of exploring the fundamental physics of gravity — and ultimately, the universe.</p>
MIT senior research scientist David Shoemaker has been elected the next spokesperson for the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) Scientific Collaboration. Photo: Bryce VickmarkAwards, honors and fellowships, Staff, LIGO, Black holes, Physics, Space, astronomy and planetary science, Astrophysics, National Science Foundation (NSF), School of ScienceUncovering new ways to tell sports and media storieshttps://news.mit.edu/2017/uncovering-new-ways-to-tell-sports-media-stories-0321
Ben Shields&#039; research focuses on the intersection of social media technologies, data analytics, and audience behavior in the sports, media, and entertainment industries.Tue, 21 Mar 2017 17:55:01 -0400Daniel de Wolff | MIT Industrial Liaison Programhttps://news.mit.edu/2017/uncovering-new-ways-to-tell-sports-media-stories-0321<p>Ben Shields is a self-avowed sports fanatic. But it’s clear that his interest spans beyond mere appreciation for the spectacle and the competition itself. “I’ve had the privilege to research and write about the sports industry since 2003,” says Shields. The statement, while wholly accurate and sincere, belies the fact that Shields has made, and continues to make, essential contributions to our understanding of the ever-changing landscapes of social media technologies, data analytics, and audience behavior. His explorations of the inner workings of sports and entertainment, through the lens of technology, allow him to draw conclusions that are relevant far beyond what would appear at first glance to be the scope of those industries.</p>
<p>Shields joined the MIT Sloan School of Management as a lecturer in managerial communication in 2014. His courses, 15.280 (Communication for Leaders) and 15.281 (Advanced Leadership Communication), take on critical importance in the complex, technologically-connected world in which leaders operate. He has also developed a new course, 15.S10 (Social Media Management: Persuasion in Networked Culture), which equips students with the frameworks and best practices to maximize the persuasive power of social media platforms.</p>
<p>Shields has a wealth of practical experience to draw from. Prior to joining MIT Sloan, he served as the director of social media and marketing at ESPN. There, he realized the sports industry was on the cusp of a paradigm shift in terms of fan behavior, specifically how fans consumed and engaged with sports via social media. Shields describes this time, 2008-2009, as the early days of social media. As such, many businesses were unsure of how to adapt to the platforms. Shields, however, collaborated with colleagues across the enterprise to develop a strategy for the ESPN brand that maximized the business value of their social media outreach. In addition to revamping how ESPN communicated with its audience, he also designed and implemented marketing strategy for several ESPN brands and sub-brands, working on highly successful campaigns, including the “It’s Not Crazy, It’s Sports” campaign, which would eventually garner an Emmy Award.</p>
<p>Shields says, “Sports is a petri dish to research and better understand broader trends in business like technology adoption, media consumption, digital disruption on revenue models, and even disciplines like crisis management in the social media age.” Furthermore, he notes that fitness tracking technology is on the rise, which calls into question issues of data privacy. Shields cites the complexities of data collection with regard to the use of new biometric wearable technologies, which track the health and performance of players with rigorous efficiency. He acknowledges that data collection technologies are developing at a rate that policy is struggling to keep pace with. In that sense, the players and the teams find themselves in a nebulous space. Wearable technologies provide the potential for healthier players. But who owns the data? And at what point is individual privacy being encroached upon? These questions are debated daily in the sports industry, and are inextricably linked to the wider discussion around data collection and privacy that affects us all.</p>
<p>Shields also cites the unpredictability of the product (the teams themselves) as a particularly interesting area of investigation. Whereas in other industries there is relative certainty as to how a product will perform, with sports it is nearly impossible to predict what will happen during the game or as a result of that game. Shields illustrates the point by explaining that if we, the consumer, want to order a product from Amazon, we understand how the site works: Search functionality allows us to find the product we want, and our desired product will most likely arrive when expected. It’s predictable and consistent. Not so with sports: “Sports teams and leagues have to sell a product for which they cannot control its performance, which is why all the other elements of a sports organization become critical — the fan experience at the stadium and online, the ability of organizations to build brands that connect with fans, the ability for teams to understand what fans want from the experience and analyze that data to deliver those products and experiences — all to both foster stronger loyalty and generate additional revenue.” And, says Shields, the most successful sports teams, in terms of generating revenue, are innovators, operating as profitable businesses, regardless of what happens on the field. In other words, a winning team does not necessarily equate to success from a business standpoint. And if winning is to a certain extent beside the point, Shields’ research shows that these organizations provide models that other businesses can learn from.</p>
<p>With regard to his life at MIT, Shields is particularly proud to be involved in the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference. Co-founded by Daryl Morey, Houston Rockets general manager and a Sloan alum, and Jessica Gelman, CEO of Kraft Analytics Group, SSAC is student run, and it has become the premier conference in the industry. “This conference is something I look forward to every single year. It is an extraordinary showcase of our students’ creativity, leadership, and work ethic.”</p>
<p>Most recently, Shields also took part in the December, 2016 MIT Industrial Liaison Program Consumer Dynamics Conference, where he presented on innovative best practices from the sports industry that are relevant to any consumer-driven enterprise. Shields explored topics including how media is changing consumer behavior, how data driven decision-making can help organizations generate more revenue, and the importance of brand building in a cluttered marketplace. He thinks exploring these issues through the lens of sports is exciting, even fun. However, he insists the idea is to understand how these trends in sports are applicable to other industries. &nbsp;</p>
<p>Shields has written three books. His first two are "The Sports Strategist: Developing Leaders for a High-Performance Industry" (Oxford University Press, 2015) and "The Elusive Fan: Reinventing Sports in a Crowded Marketplace" (McGraw-Hill, 2006). In January he released his third, "Social Media Management: Persuasion in Networked Culture" (Oxford University Press, 2017). “The question that I try to grapple with [in my new book] and offer a clear digestible framework for addressing is: How can organizations and leaders maximize the business value of social media?” Shields describes the work as a detour from his usual fare, in that it is not sports-focused. Indeed, one of his stated goals with his most recent work is to ensure that the next generation of executives and leaders understands how to best utilize social media to have a streamlined business platform and accomplish their goals. However, Shields through his research, writing, and teaching has demonstrated that best practices and lessons learned in the sports industry have far-reaching implications for other industries. So, in a sense, perhaps his Social Media Management course is less a departure than a logical extension of his body of work thus far.</p>
Ben ShieldsPhoto: David SellaStaff, Sloan School of Management, Social media, Sports, Analytics, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (I&E), DataExceptional individuals honored at the 2017 MIT Excellence Awards and Collier Medal ceremonyhttps://news.mit.edu/2017/exceptional-individuals-honored-at-mit-excellence-awards-and-collier-medal-ceremony-0317
Fri, 17 Mar 2017 16:30:01 -0400Human Resourceshttps://news.mit.edu/2017/exceptional-individuals-honored-at-mit-excellence-awards-and-collier-medal-ceremony-0317<p>On Thursday, March 16, the MIT community gathered at Kresge Auditorium to honor recipients of the 2017 MIT Excellence Awards and Collier Medal. The MIT Excellence Awards are among the highest honors awarded to MIT staff, and acknowledge the extraordinary efforts made in the spirit of fulfilling the goals, values, and mission of the Institute. The Collier Medal honors the memory of Officer Sean Collier, whose spirit lives on as a lasting part of the MIT community.</p>
<p>The 2017 ceremony opened with a lively performance by <a href="https://www.syncopasian.com/">Syncopasian</a> — MIT’s East Asian a cappella group comprised of MIT undergraduate and graduate students — and the awards were presented by MIT President L. Rafael Reif and senior leaders across the Institute.</p>
<p>The 2017 MIT Excellence Award recipients are:</p>
<ul>
<li>Virginia Johnson, Monica Marie Orta, and Lianne P. Shields in the category of Advancing Inclusion and Global Perspectives;</li>
<li>Brent Oberlin, Raoul Ouedraogo, and Alexia Schulz in the category of Bringing Out the Best;</li>
<li>William B. McCarthy in the category of Innovative Solutions;</li>
<li>Edison Arana, Katherine Barlett, Kimberly Benard, Jonathan Byford, Tina Gilman, Jane Hamilton, Forrest Larson, Stuart Levine, Benjamin Nahill, Aida Riley, Vienna Rothberg, Jeffrey Stewart, Kerin Willis, and Susan Young in the category of Outstanding Contributor;</li>
<li>Robin M. Deadrick, Brian Jones, Rosa G. Liberman, Sarah Rankin, Laura Ryan, Darren J. Scartissi, and Greg Walton in the category of Serving the Client; and</li>
<li>Ruth T. Davis and Stephanie Trembley in the category of Sustaining MIT.</li>
</ul>
<p>The 2017 Collier Medal of Service recipient is Lorraine K. Wong, an MIT senior in the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences and the Program in Women’s and Gender Studies.</p>
President L. Rafael Reif congratulates MIT senior Lorraine Wong, the 2017 Collier Medal Recipient.Photo: Justin KnightHuman Resources, Community, Staff, Faculty, Awards, honors and fellowships, Sean CollierAtlas Service Center opens in E17https://news.mit.edu/2017/atlas-service-center-opens-e17-0313
Housed in a newly designed space, the center brings together an array of services for the MIT community, now in a single location. Mon, 13 Mar 2017 11:10:01 -0400Robyn Fizz | Information Systems and Technologyhttps://news.mit.edu/2017/atlas-service-center-opens-e17-0313<p>With a nod to the success of Atlas online, the <a href="https://atlas.mit.edu/atlascenter/">Atlas Service Center</a> opened on March 13, on the first level of Building E17. The center provides a single location where community members can receive in-person assistance with an array of services.</p>
<p>The center provides services previously offered in the basement of the Stratton Student Center (Building W20), along with services from elsewhere on campus.</p>
<p>Offerings at the new center include:</p>
<ul>
<li>ID cards and passport photos</li>
<li>Commuting benefits (T-pass, parking, and other options)</li>
<li>I-9 employment eligibility verification</li>
<li>Tax treaty guidance</li>
<li>IT walk-in center and computer repair services</li>
<li>TechCASH</li>
<li>Background checks and finger printing</li>
<li>New employee orientation (coming later this spring)</li>
</ul>
<p>Center staff will also be able to provide information about other Institute services, such as benefits (HR), community wellness (MIT Medical), MIT recreation (DAPER), and activities (MITAC).</p>
<p>Executive Vice President and Treasurer Israel Ruiz is the center’s sponsor. “Many people came together to help realize the vision of providing services attuned to community member needs without regard to departmental lines. I especially want to thank the center manager Kathleen Flynn and the entire team led by Robin Elices for their extraordinary efforts,” says Ruiz. “The center really captures a sense of MITness, of playfulness, of building things, of discovery, and of community. It will be a great introductory experience for new employees and students who come to MIT.”</p>
<p>Federico Casalegno, associate professor of the practice and director of the MIT Design Lab (previously the Mobile Experience Lab) became involved in the design of Atlas Service Center project a couple of years ago. The lab works on projects that connect people, information, and places in meaningful ways, and helped the Atlas team create the integrated service experience offered through the center.</p>
<p>“Developing the Atlas Service Center for MIT required the team to entirely rethink the way institutions provide high-quality services in the 21st century,” notes Casalegno. “The center combines innovative digital technologies and architectural design to deliver the highest standard of service to the MIT community. It provides an easy way to access information about MIT, connect our community, and understand the vibrant activities happening on campus and beyond. Our goal, ultimately, was to design a space to better serve the MIT community.”</p>
<p><strong>Celebrate the opening</strong></p>
<p>The Atlas Service Center is hosting an open house for the MIT community on Tuesday, April 4 from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. Community members are invited to visit the new center for refreshments and check out two of the center’s features: a 3-D campus map, which reflects MIT’s maker culture, and an interactive community wall, which represents the spirit of one MIT.</p>
<p>The first theme for the wall is “Our global community, make your mark.” The wall displays an abstract map of the world to which visitors to the center can affix comments.</p>
<p>The 3-D campus map, created by the MIT Design Lab, combines physical touch with digital media to help users navigate MIT. They can tap a building to check out events or get directions, which they can take with them through a mobile handoff. They can locate interesting art pieces on campus or the shortest route to a shuttle stop. There’s also easy access to information about research, classes, and people on campus.</p>
<p>According to Casalegno, “We were interested in opening up access and visualizing campus data by means of our tangible map project, which allows students and visitors to intuitively access all sorts of information and event data through a digital sculptural interface.”</p>
<p><strong>In touch with Atlas </strong></p>
<p>Users will notice a new Atlas logo, both at the center and online. The unfolding “A” represents the sense of discovery that permeates MIT’s culture of curiosity, and of pushing boundaries to uncover new ideas.</p>
<p>The center will showcase the work of Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Erik Demaine and his father Martin Demaine. Professor Demaine tackles computational problems related to folding and bending, and his father is an artist in residence and technical instructor in MIT’s Glass Lab. Together they explore connections between mathematics and art.<strong> </strong></p>
<p>The Atlas Service Center is open on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Atlas Service Center manager <a href="mailto:kflynn@mit.edu">Kathleen Flynn</a> is available to answer questions. Center staff can also be contacted at <a href="mailto:atlascenter@mit.edu">atlascenter@mit.edu</a> or (617) 253-3000.</p>
The Atlas Service CenterPhoto: David Sella, Audio Visual ServicesAdministration, Campus services, Cambridge, Boston and region, Community, Design, Facilities, Staff, Students, Human Resources2017 recipients of MIT Excellence Awards and Collier Medal announcedhttps://news.mit.edu/2017/recipients-of-mit-excellence-awards-collier-medal-announced-0309
Thu, 09 Mar 2017 17:45:01 -0500Human Resourceshttps://news.mit.edu/2017/recipients-of-mit-excellence-awards-collier-medal-announced-0309<p>The <a href="http://hrweb.mit.edu/rewards/excellence" target="_blank">MIT Excellence Awards</a> are among the highest honors awarded to staff by MIT and acknowledge the extraordinary efforts made in the spirit of fulfilling the goals, values, and mission of the Institute. In 2014, the Collier Medal was created to honor the memory of Officer Sean Collier, whose spirit will live on through the award recipients.</p>
<p>This year’s award winners range from a film media assistant, to a project technician, to an environmental health and safety coordinator, to an instrument maker. They work in numerous roles across MIT campus and at Lincoln Laboratory. In each of their respective categories, this year’s winners have demonstrated a commitment to excellence and a commitment to the MIT community.</p>
<p>The 2017 MIT Excellence Award recipients are:</p>
<ul>
<li>Virginia Johnson, Monica Marie Orta, and Lianne P. Shields in the category of Advancing Inclusion and Global Perspectives;</li>
<li>Brent Oberlin, Raoul Ouaedraogo, and Alexia Schulz in the category of Bringing Out the Best;</li>
<li>William B. McCarthy in the category of Innovative Solutions;</li>
<li>Edison Arana, Katherine Barlett, Kimberly Benard, Jonathan Byford, Tina Gilman, Jane Hamilton, Forrest Larson, Stuart Levine, Benjamin Nahill, Aida Riley, Vienna Rothberg, Jeffrey Stewart, Kerin Willis, and Susan Young in the category of Outstanding Contributor;</li>
<li>Robin M. Deadrick, Brian Jones, Rosa G. Liberman, Sarah Rankin, Laura Ryan, Darren J. Scartissi, and Greg Walton in the category of Serving the Client; and</li>
<li>Ruth T. Davis and Stephanie Trembley in the category of Sustaining MIT.</li>
</ul>
<p>The 2017 Collier Medal of Service recipient is Lorraine K. Wong, an MIT senior in the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences and the Program in Women’s and Gender Studies.</p>
<p>The entire MIT community is welcome to attend the MIT Excellence Awards and Collier Medal ceremony and reception on Thursday, March 16, from 3 to 5 p.m. in the <a href="https://whereis.mit.edu/?go=W16">Kresge Auditorium</a>.</p>
The Lincoln Laboratory Employees' African-American Network (LEAN) Committee received a 2016 Excellence Award for advancing inclusion and global perspectives.Human Resources, Community, Staff, Faculty, awards, Awards, honors and fellowships, Sean CollierLetter regarding MIT Community Forum on The Engine Working Groupshttps://news.mit.edu/2017/letter-regarding-mit-community-forum-engine-working-groups-0309
Thu, 09 Mar 2017 17:30:00 -0500MIT News Officehttps://news.mit.edu/2017/letter-regarding-mit-community-forum-engine-working-groups-0309<p><em>The following email was sent today to the MIT community by Provost Martin A. Schmidt.</em></p>
<p>To the members of the MIT community:</p>
<p>I write to invite you to an MIT community forum on The Engine Working Groups that will take place on Wednesday, March 22, 2017, 5:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. in Kirsch Hall (32-123). <a href="https://ewg.mit.edu/">The Working Groups</a> were launched in December 2016 to guide the development of Institute policies and procedures related to work of <a href="http://www.engine.xyz/">The Engine</a>, a new innovation accelerator for startups pursuing capital- and time-intensive technologies.</p>
<p>During the forum, we will hear updates on The Engine and preliminary recommendations from the Working Group chairs. Speakers include: Executive Vice President &amp; Treasurer Israel Ruiz; President &amp; CEO of The Engine Katie Rae; chair of MIT's The Engine Advisory Committee, Professor Anantha Chandrakasan; and the Working Group chairs: Professors Martin Culpepper, Timothy Swager, Klavs Jensen, Dick Yue, Fiona Murray, and Vladimir Bulovic.</p>
<p>Also, a significant amount of time will be dedicated to hearing from the community through Q&amp;A and sharing of additional ideas. As a reminder, an <a href="https://ewg.mit.edu/idea-bank">idea bank</a> is still active for capturing ideas as well.</p>
<p>I hope very much that you will be able to join us. To register, please visit this <a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-engine-mit-working-groups-community-forum-tickets-32532504597?utm_campaign=new_event_email&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=eb_email&amp;utm_term=viewmyevent_button">website</a>.</p>
<p>Sincerely,</p>
<p>Martin A. Schmidt<br />
Provost</p>
Letters to the Community, The Engine, Administration, Faculty, Staff, Students, Community, ProvostWilliam Oliver appointed Lincoln Laboratory Fellow and associate director of MIT Research Laboratory of Electronicshttps://news.mit.edu/2017/william-oliver-appointed-lincoln-laboratory-fellow-rle-associate-director-0302
Thu, 02 Mar 2017 18:15:01 -0500Megan Cichon | Lincoln Laboratoryhttps://news.mit.edu/2017/william-oliver-appointed-lincoln-laboratory-fellow-rle-associate-director-0302<p>William D. Oliver of the MIT Lincoln Laboratory Quantum Information and Integrated Nanosystems Group was appointed to Laboratory Fellow at Lincoln Laboratory and associate director of the MIT Research Laboratory of Electronics (RLE).</p>
<p>"I am honored to have been appointed to Lincoln Laboratory Fellow and associate director of the RLE,” Oliver said. "We have built a fantastic team that includes&nbsp;members from Lincoln Laboratory and MIT campus, and&nbsp;I look forward to developing new opportunities and interactions in the field of quantum engineering across the Laboratory, the RLE, and the new MIT.nano fabrication facility.”</p>
<p>The Laboratory Fellow position recognizes the laboratory’s strongest technical talent for outstanding contributions to laboratory and national-level programs over many years. Oliver has demonstrated sustained, outstanding technical achievement in quantum information science, superconducting electronics, and complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology operated at cryogenic temperatures. Oliver’s primary responsibility within RLE will be to lead a broad range of quantum information science (QIS) research and development activities. He will also serve as the liaison for technical collaboration between RLE and Lincoln Laboratory.</p>
<p>Since joining the laboratory in 2003, Oliver has been strongly engaged in research and development both at the laboratory and on the MIT campus. At the laboratory, he has led the development of several quantum and classical information processing technologies. In parallel, he has led collaborative efforts in the Orlando Group at MIT to advance the scientific understanding of superconducting quantum bits (qubits) through widely recognized, seminal experiments that leverage the laboratory’s strong engineering expertise. Together, these projects have resulted in more than 50 scientific papers in high-profile journals and many invited talks at domestic and international conferences. In conjunction with this work, Oliver has cosupervised 9 postdocs and 11 students. Because of these contributions and collaborations, Oliver was appointed a professor of the practice in the MIT Department of Physics in July 2015.</p>
<p>Over many years, Oliver has identified key research directions across the full breadth of technology needed to accomplish large-scale QIS demonstrations, and his technical leadership established much of the laboratory’s early QIS research portfolio. Oliver’s primary focus has been in the area of superconducting quantum computing, where he has advanced the state of the art for the design, fabrication, and measurement of qubits in experiments performed at millikelvin temperatures. Oliver was responsible for launching two companion cryogenic electronics program areas important for future QIS demonstrations and for other U.S. Department of Defense advanced computing and imager applications. As part of this work, he laid the foundation for the laboratory to develop the world’s most advanced fabrication process for superconducting circuits. Oliver also performed the early proof-of-concept simulations and demonstrations for developing and optimizing CMOS technology for cryogenic operation.</p>
<p>Oliver received a BS degree in electrical engineering (EE) and a BA degree in Japanese from the University of Rochester. He performed thesis work on superconducting circuits at the University of Rochester and during an internship at Nagoya University in Japan. He received his MS degree in EE from MIT, working with Tod Machover at the MIT Media Lab, and a PhD degree in EE from Stanford University for work on quantum noise and electron entanglement with Professor Yoshihisa Yamamoto.</p>
William OliverPhoto courtesy of William Oliver.Research Laboratory of Electronics, Lincoln Laboratory, Staff, Physics, School of Science, Awards, honors and fellowships, Nanoscience and nanotechnologyPrinting data-driven wearables that mimic naturehttps://news.mit.edu/2017/data-driven-3d-printed-midsoles-jessica-rosenkrantz-0302
MIT lecturer Jessica Rosenkrantz writes programs mimicking processes in nature to &quot;grow&quot; objects that can be digitally fabricated.Thu, 02 Mar 2017 14:10:01 -0500Jay London | Alumni Associationhttps://news.mit.edu/2017/data-driven-3d-printed-midsoles-jessica-rosenkrantz-0302<p>School of Architecture and Planning lecturer Jessica Rosenkrantz’s career in design began somewhat as an accident and was sparked by a random comment by a graduate classmate at the Harvard University School of Design.</p>
<p>“I was making a lot of complex laser-cut models that sort of looked like cellular patterns you might see in biology,” says Rosenkrantz '05. “And one of the pieces that I had laser-cut was sort of curled up on my desk — it was actually a failed piece of garbage from an architecture model. But someone walked up to me and said, ‘Hey, is that a bracelet?’”</p>
<p>The conversation ignited an idea in Rosenkrantz that she could apply many of the large-scale architectural theories she learned at MIT and Harvard into tangible consumer products like art, jewelry, and housewares.&nbsp;That idea would evolve into <a href="http://n-e-r-v-o-u-s.com/" target="_blank">Nervous System</a>, a Somerville, Massachusetts-based generative design studio that she co-founded.</p>
<div class="cms-placeholder-content-video"></div>
<p>“Nervous System has a somewhat unusual design process where we actually don’t directly design anything,” she says. “We don’t draw, we don’t sculpt, and we don’t model. We write computer programs based on processes in nature that generate form and pattern, and use those to grow or generate series of objects, which can be digitally fabricated.”</p>
<p>The processes-in-nature aspect of Nervous System developed during Rosenkrantz’s time as a biology major at MIT. A double major, she also earned an undergraduate degree at MIT in architecture.</p>
<p>“I majored in biology because I was fascinated by how forms in nature emerge,” she says. “How we go from a single cell to an extremely complex, functional organism. That’s the most sophisticated technology that we have on the planet. Our design process of creating systems that grow and evolve, rather than creating static designs, is something that is central to what we do.”</p>
<p>Nervous System’s <a href="http://n-e-r-v-o-u-s.com/projects/" target="_blank">portfolio</a>&nbsp;includes commissioned work like custom jewelry and furniture and larger projects such as building facades and creating 3-D printing generators for Google’s Advanced Technology and Projects group. They recently collaborated with New Balance to help reinvent the running shoe and develop a customized, 3-D-printed midsole.</p>
<p>“For New Balance, we explored how to create a variable-response cushioning midsole,” she says. “We were really inspired by forms in nature that you specifically see in bones and wood. So you have cellular structures, which very efficiently fill space and create strong forms but uses very minimal amount of material.”</p>
<p>She hopes Nervous System can continue to do larger&nbsp;work on an architectural scale while also collaborating with a science and biology organizations that pursue work on a&nbsp;cellular level.</p>
<p>“All of our projects are sort of united by a singular, sort of, methodology in how we work, which is in creating these sort of generative computeRor systems,” she says. “So everything, whether it’s a piece of jewelry or a building or a 3-D-printed human tissue, is all generated using the same logic and workflow.”</p>
Jessica Rosenkrantz collaborated with New Balance to develop a customized, 3-D-printed midsole.Photo: New Balance and Brielle DomingsBioinspiration, Biomimicry, Arts, Design, Staff, Alumnai/ae, 3-D printing, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (I&E), Startups, Architecture, Biology, School of Architecture and Planning, School of ScienceWomen of NASA LEGO set blasts off https://news.mit.edu/2017/women-nasa-lego-set-0302
MIT staffer’s creation celebrating the history of women in the U.S. space program selected to become official LEGO set. Thu, 02 Mar 2017 10:30:00 -0500Abby Abazorius | MIT News Officehttps://news.mit.edu/2017/women-nasa-lego-set-0302<p>For years, Maia Weinstock, the deputy editor of <em>MIT News</em>, has been <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/pixbymaia/sets/72157623988000684/">creating miniature LEGO figurines</a> to honor and promote such scientists and engineers as MIT Institute Professor Emerita Mildred Dresselhaus, Vice President for Research Maria T. Zuber, and Department of Chemical Engineering head Paula Hammond, the David H. Koch Chair Professor in Engineering. The figures are Weinstock’s playful way of boosting the visibility of scientists, in particular the work of female scientists.</p>
<p>Now, a set of LEGOs Weinstock created celebrating the history of women at NASA is about to blast off. On Tuesday, LEGO <a href="https://ideas.lego.com/blogs/1-blog/post/121">announced</a> that Weinstock’s project, which spotlights five women who made historic contributions to the U.S. space program, has been selected to become an official LEGO set.</p>
<p>“What a wonderful way to celebrate the scientific achievements of these five pioneering women,” says Zuber, the E.A. Griswold Professor of Geophysics and the first woman to lead a NASA planetary mission. “And I’m thrilled with the message that these LEGOs will send to girls — that they, too, can pursue their passions in science, technology, engineering, and math, and help make a better world.”</p>
<p>Last summer Weinstock submitted her concept, dubbed the <a href="https://ideas.lego.com/projects/147876">Women of NASA</a>, to LEGO Ideas, a platform that allows people around the world to propose new ideas for LEGO concepts. After a public voting period, during which Weinstock’s set received 10,000 votes in 15 days, her project underwent an official LEGO review.</p>
<p>Weinstock was inspired to create the set by her love of space and NASA, and her desire to showcase the contributions that women have made over the years to the field of space exploration. Above all, she hopes the set will help encourage more young girls to pursue STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and math).</p>
<p>“I hope that ‘Women of NASA’ will be one little extra brick in the wall of trying to improve how women are perceived and shown in books, toys, and family programming,” Weinstock explains. “Anything I can do to help make sure girls understand that they can and should be interested in the sciences, engineering, and math, that is my goal. At the end of the day, that’s why I am doing this.”</p>
<p>The set depicts five trailblazers in NASA’s history: <a href="http://news.mit.edu/2016/apollo-code-developer-margaret-hamilton-receives-presidential-medal-of-freedom-1117">Margaret Hamilton</a>, a computer scientist who led the development of software for the Apollo missions while at MIT; Mae Jemison, who became the first African-American woman in space in 1992; Katherine Johnson, known for calculating and verifying trajectories for the Mercury and Apollo programs; Sally Ride, who became the first American woman in space in 1983; and astronomer Nancy Grace Roman, one of the first female executives at NASA, who was instrumental in the planning of the Hubble Space Telescope.</p>
<p>Weinstock explains that she wanted the set to feature “a very diverse group of women in terms of what they did, in terms of their fields at NASA, in terms of their cultural backgrounds, and also in terms of their age. Some are shown as younger, but I made sure I had one shown as older. Also, most of the women in the set are known for their work in the space flight program at NASA, but I wanted to give a shout out to the astronomy program as well.”</p>
<p>Weinstock began creating LEGO figures back in 2009, when she constructed a LEGO likeness for her friend Carolyn Porco, a planetary scientist known for her imaging work on the Voyager and Cassini missions. After sharing an image of Porco’s LEGO figurine on Twitter, Weinstock received an outpouring of positive feedback and was inspired to create more figures in an effort to help promote the work of living scientists.</p>
<p>Since she built her first figurine, Weinstock has created LEGOs for a number of celebrated scientists and engineers, including primatologist Jane Goodall, oceanographer Sylvia Earle, physicist Stephen Hawking, and a number of MIT faculty members such as Ernest Moniz, professor of physics and special advisor to the president, and Sangeeta Bhatia, the John and Dorothy Wilson Professor of Health Sciences and Technology and Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and a member of MIT’s Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research.</p>
<p>“Being immortalized in LEGO is probably the coolest thing that has ever happened to me,” Bhatia says. “I hope it makes lots of little tinkerers dream about being engineers at MIT someday.”</p>
<p>Weinstock explains that she chose LEGOs as her medium as she feels “there is a childlike wonder to playing with a toy that you can make in people’s likeness.”</p>
<p>“One major goal for me is to get the public to recognize the history of women in the STEM fields. I’m hopeful that with this set more people will come to know these women,” Weinstock says. “Part of it is knowing these specific five women, but also part of it is setting an example. It’s really important to set an example for girls, as well as for boys, to normalize and make plain that women are expected to be in these fields and that it’s not strange or unusual.”</p>
Minifigures of five NASA pioneers — from left to right, Margaret Hamilton, Katherine Johnson, Sally Ride, Nancy Grace Roman, and Mae Jemison — will appear in an official LEGO set originally designed by MIT staff member Maia Weinstock.Courtesy of Maia WeinstockCommunity, Staff, Women in STEM, Diversity and inclusion, Space, astronomy and planetary science, NASA, Space exploration, K-12 education, STEM educationEastgate, Warehouse graduate communities seek new heads of househttps://news.mit.edu/2017/eastgate-warehouse-graduate-communities-seek-new-heads-house-0228
Faculty are invited to learn more at an informational reception on March 8.
Tue, 28 Feb 2017 16:30:00 -0500Division of Student Lifehttps://news.mit.edu/2017/eastgate-warehouse-graduate-communities-seek-new-heads-house-0228<p>In 1933, Avery Allen Ashdown PhD ’24 was named the first housemaster in MIT’s residential system. He took up residence in a complex of buildings dubbed Graduate House (later renamed Senior House), and shaped the burgeoning community by identifying 46 graduate students to live in the dorm. So began the MIT tradition of faculty heads of house.</p>
<p>More than 80 years later, faculty heads of house still live in undergraduate and graduate residence halls. Like Ashdown, they play a big role in shaping their residents’ experiences. Long-serving heads of house in two communities — Ayida Mthembu in the Eastgate Apartments (Building E55), and John Ochsendorf and Anne Carney in the Warehouse (Building NW30) — will step down this year, creating opportunities for faculty to apply for one of the most rewarding leadership positions in the MIT community.</p>
<p>“I’m grateful to Ayida, John, and Anne for their years of leadership in their respective communities,” says Suzy Nelson, vice president and dean for student life. “Thousands of MIT graduate students lived side-by-side with them in Eastgate and the Warehouse over many years, and had a better MIT experience thanks to their support.”</p>
<p>Who are heads of house? And what do they do? Heads of house are faculty members who influence all areas of student development in their communities, acting as advisors and mentors to their residents. They work closely with their house’s student government and staff from the Division of Student Life (DSL) to foster their community’s culture. On a practical level, each head of house lives in an apartment in their respective residence hall and receives a stipend. But the main incentive for becoming a head of house is the intangible, immensely gratifying impact faculty can have on the lives of MIT students.</p>
<p>“And,” Ochsendorf is quick to point out, “you don’t have to shovel snow!”</p>
<p>Ochsendorf, the Class of 1942 Professor of Architecture and Civil and Environmental Engineering, and Carney have been heads of the Warehouse graduate community for seven years. Recently, the couple announced that they were stepping down as heads of house, a decision that he described as bittersweet. “We love the students in the Warehouse,” Ochsendorf says. “As much as we have enjoyed helping to acclimate them to MIT, they have enriched our lives immensely.”</p>
<p>The choice to become a head of house was personal for Ochsendorf and Carney. “It was really about community,” Ochsendorf says. “We don’t have family in the Boston area, and we were excited to enhance what was already a strong community in the Warehouse.”</p>
<p>The Warehouse was built in 1904 and has housed a pipe-organ builder, a library technology company, a U.S. Air Force research facility, and finally, MIT’s Instrumentation Lab. After extensive renovations, it opened as a 120-bed dorm in 2001, and has been home ever since to first-year graduate students, many of whom come to Cambridge from abroad. “Anne and I studied abroad, so working with international students in particular and helping them get acclimated to MIT was especially interesting to us," Ochsendorf says.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
Eastgate, on the other hand, is home to as many as 201 graduate students and their families, and is known for its proximity to Kendall Square, “million-dollar” views of Greater Boston, and unique bike-rental program that has fostered a community of cyclists. Residents are also strongly influenced by the presence of spouses and children. Mthembu, a recently retired assistant dean in Student Support Services and head of house in three MIT dorms since 1989, will fully retire from MIT at the end of this academic year. In a December letter announcing her retirement, DSL’s Senior Associate Dean for Student Support and Wellbeing David Randall said, “(Ayida) has helped countless students navigate MIT’s challenging environment, and many have expressed the sentiment that they would not have made it through without her support and guidance.”</p>
<p>Ochsendorf described life in residence as a “two-way street,” in which the heads of house learn invaluable lessons from their residents, and vice versa. In addition to supporting students and working with house government to set the tone for life in their communities, heads of house have a unique vantage point on the lives of students. “After teaching for more than a decade, I thought I had a good handle on the student experience,” he says, “but now I have an even deeper appreciation.” Additionally, the heads of house themselves have a strong connection. “We’ve made a number of close friends among the other heads of house. It’s a great community of people, and we’ll miss that.”<br />
&nbsp;<br />
For more information on becoming a head of house, contact <a href="mailto:judyrob@mit.edu">Judy Robinson</a>, senior associate dean for residential education. An informational reception will be held on March 8 from 7-9 p.m. in the Warehouse, where interested faculty can meet current heads of house and staff to discuss these singular opportunities. Please email Kaye Gaskins at <a href="mailto:kgaskins@mit.edu">kgaskins@mit.edu</a> to RSVP. If you cannot attend the dinner but would still like to apply, email a current CV and cover letter explaining why you would like to be a head of house to Dean Robinson.</p>
<p>The search committee for the heads of house will be chaired by Head of Ashdown House Adam Berinsky, a professor of political science. Other committee members include Head of Sidney Pacific Julie Shah, Associate Heads of Ashdown House Yuriy and Katie Roman, Dean Robinson, and residents of Eastgate and the Warehouse. The committee will review candidate qualifications, vet potential finalists with staff and graduate students in those residences, and make recommendations to Nelson and Chancellor Cynthia Barnhart. The final selections will be made by Chancellor Barnhart in time for the appointees to make preparations to relocate into their new homes before the fall term.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
Ultimately, the choice to become a head of house is personal, as it was for Ochsendorf and Carney. “But, I would recommend it for every faculty member,” Ochsendorf adds. “I wish all faculty members could live on-campus for even a few years. Students are excited to see faculty outside the lab and classroom, and there's a lot of learning that goes in both directions when that happens.”</p>
The Eastgate and Warehouse graduate communities.Photo: DSL CommunicationsStudent life, Students, Housing, Campus buildings and architecture, Administration, Faculty, Undergraduate, Graduate, postdoctoral, Staff, CommunityWalter Morrow, pioneering electrical engineer and former MIT Lincoln Laboratory director, dies at 88https://news.mit.edu/2017/walter-morrow-former-director-lincoln-laboratory-dies-0215
A leader in the development of advanced satellite communication systems, Morrow led Lincoln Laboratory for 21 years. Wed, 15 Feb 2017 16:10:01 -0500Dorothy Ryan | Lincoln Laboratoryhttps://news.mit.edu/2017/walter-morrow-former-director-lincoln-laboratory-dies-0215<p>Walter E. Morrow, a pioneering electrical engineer and the director of MIT Lincoln Laboratory from April 1977 to June 1998, passed away on Sunday, Feb. 12, at his home in Weston, Massachusetts. He was 88 years old.</p>
<p>Morrow ’49, SM ’51 began his career at Lincoln Laboratory after his 1951 graduation from MIT with degrees in electrical engineering. He joined the laboratory’s Long Range Communications Group, where his early research and development work was in ionospheric and tropospheric beyond-the-horizon communication techniques. As leader of the Systems Engineering Group from 1955 to 1964, he designed and directed Project West Ford, a series of experiments that demonstrated the feasibility of using orbiting thin-wire reflectors to support long-range, high-frequency radio transmissions. For this work, Morrow received an MIT Outstanding Achievement Award that cited his “imaginative contribution to a new concept of intercontinental microwave communication.”</p>
<p>Throughout his career, Morrow was a pioneer in the development of advanced satellite communication systems for the U.S. military. Under his leadership and through his collaborations with staff and sponsors, the Laboratory’s Lincoln Experimental Satellite program developed a wide range of critically important technologies. Much of this technology continues to be central to military satellite communication systems used by the United States and its allies.</p>
<p>Morrow helped to guide Lincoln Laboratory’s expansion into new areas of research and development. In 1969, while assistant director, he led a study group that investigated the possibility of establishing a major air traffic control program at the laboratory. Because of his recommendation to move forward, the laboratory created and has sustained a strong air traffic control program that has developed many important weather forecasting and aircraft safety systems over the past 36 years.</p>
<p>Morrow also had the foresight to initiate the South Laboratory and Microelectronics Laboratory building projects. Both projects resulted in major improvements in Lincoln Laboratory facilities, and the upgraded prototyping and technology development spaces had a major impact on the success of programs at the laboratory.</p>
<p>Morrow served on the Defense Science Board as a member from 1987 to 2002 and as a senior fellow from 2002 to 2009, contributing to dozens of task forces in areas such as space superiority, advanced semiconductors, homeland protection, and air defense. Morrow was a member of the Chief of Naval Operations Executive Panel for 37 years, the Naval War College Board of Advisors, the Air Force Scientific Advisory Board, and NASA's Advisory Council.</p>
<p>During his distinguished career, Morrow received numerous awards, including the Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service in 1998, the Department of Defense Outstanding Public Service Award in 2010, and the Navy Superior Public Service Award in 2015. He was elevated to the level of fellow in the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) in 1966 and was elected a member of the National Academy of Engineering in 1978.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Through his example, Morrow promoted an exceptional level of technical excellence and integrity, and left a profound impact on Lincoln Laboratory and many programs for our nation’s defense.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Morrow was married for 65 years to the late Janice (Lombard) Morrow and is survived by his sons Clifford and Gregory Morrow, his daughter Carolyn Morrow, two grandsons, and a great-grandson. Information on visiting hours and a memorial service on Friday, Feb. 17, can be found at the <a href="http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/name/walter-morrow-obituary?pid=1000000184138274" target="_blank">Brasco and Sons website</a>.</p>
Walter MorrowLincoln Laboratory, Staff, Obituaries, Electrical Engineering & Computer Science (eecs), Alumni/ae, Security studies and militaryMotivated by the thrill of discoveryhttps://news.mit.edu/2017/motivated-thrill-discovery-itamar-kimchi-0214
Itamar Kimchi studies the physics underlying unusual behavior of electrons in compounds such as transition metal oxides.Tue, 14 Feb 2017 15:35:01 -0500Denis Paiste | Materials Processing Centerhttps://news.mit.edu/2017/motivated-thrill-discovery-itamar-kimchi-0214<p>There are many kinds of frustration. There’s the kind of frustration of electrons in some materials at extremely low temperatures that forces them to abandon their preference for classical states such as spin up or spin down and instead enter unusual states of quantum superposition — a favorite subject of MIT Pappalardo Fellow in physics&nbsp;<a dir="ltr" href="http://web.mit.edu/physics/people/pappalardo/kimchi_itamar.html" target="_blank">Itamar Kimchi</a>. Then there is the kind of scientific frustration when a research path down which one travels trying to explain these phenomena turns into a dead end.</p>
<p>“Especially in the kind of work I do, you don’t know what the research problem is until you’ve solved it, because you are exploring with a flashlight in the dark things that you only understand once you’ve finished exploring them, that you didn’t even know were there until you’ve understood them,” says Kimchi, who works closely as a postdoc with professor of physics Senthil Todadri.</p>
<p>“One of the things people don’t talk about that much, but I think is helpful to recognize for young people who may go into science, is this emotional roller coaster of scientific research, especially of this basic science, where you’re in the dark even when you try to define the research problem, you don’t know what’s going on, you run into a dead end, but then when you do discover something new that nobody discovered before, it is this high when things make sense, and it’s really something new. That’s beautiful. It’s an emotionally intensive exploration,” Kimchi, 30, says.</p>
<p>Kimchi ’08 double majored in mathematics and physics at MIT before obtaining his doctorate at the University of California at Berkeley. He returned to MIT as a Pappaladro Fellow in 2015.</p>
<p><strong>Early interest in physics</strong></p>
<p>Interest in math and physics came early to Kimchi, who was born in Jerusalem, Israel, but attended high school in the United States. “I knew I liked math and logic and understanding things. Popular science books that I was exposed to a little bit, like about relativity or the universe, were kind of fun. It felt like there was something neat about there being mysteries that you could uncover and then maybe part of that seems to combine nicely with thinking logically and mathematical reasoning,” he recalls.</p>
<p>Coming to MIT as an undergraduate, Kimchi was hooked from his first physics class. “I immediately could tell that what teachers in physics here wanted me to learn really fit what I wanted to learn as well, much better than any other class or department,” Kimchi says. “I felt like it was a good fit for the kind of problem sets I wanted to work on. The way that the class was taught, I think, really brought me into physics. That’s what cemented it.” He graduated Phi Beta Kappa.</p>
<p>It wasn’t until graduate school that Kimchi specialized in condensed matter physics. “It’s neat when you can use sophisticated math to try to understand real experimental results. That’s the draw of hard condensed matter physics theory, the correlated electron systems, for me. You have these really complicated quantum systems, and you see strange experimental results. And it’s always fun to try to understand them, and sometimes also it turns out that you need some powerful mathematics to make sense of the behavior, and that’s a kind of neat synergy or combination,” Kimchi explains.</p>
<p>In his graduate work, Kimchi discovered he liked the richness in the field of condensed matter physics and that he could accomplish projects on a short time scale. He notes that it overlaps with materials science, chemistry, theoretical mathematics, and computer science. “My main project was on a series of magnetic insulator compounds where the magnetic atom is iridium, which is very heavy, far down in the periodic table. The nucleus is big, with a big charge,” Kimchi explains. “So the electrons move around it very fast, and that means that special relativity has some effect on the electronic properties of the material, in particular spin-orbit coupling.” His work on possible quantum spin liquid phases in lithium iridium oxide was published in a <em>Physical Review B</em>&nbsp;<a dir="ltr" href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.90.205126" target="_blank">paper</a>&nbsp;in 2014. Iridium is a transition metal, making this compound a transition metal oxide. “It turns out that it’s only when the electrons move very fast that their orbital motion can interact with this internal relativistic spin. The effects on the material properties, you don’t need to know special relativity for that, you just see the effects when you measure the magnetic properties of the iridium oxide.” These interactions can also lead to strange quantum entangled states of these electrons, that cannot be described by electronic band theory.</p>
<p>Looking back on the work, Kimchi says when he began making theoretical predictions about this particular interplay of spin-orbit coupling and lattice crystal structure in iridium oxides, it wasn’t clear that the crystal structures that he envisioned could be made. But when experimentalist James Analytis moved to Berkeley as a professor, he was able to grow crystals that turned out to form these crystal structures very closely related to the ones Kimchi was studying theoretically. “Then we could understand their magnetic properties, which are very unusual. People are still working on understanding them. The framework for understanding these properties that I and other people are using still comes from the initial theoretical work I did when I didn’t even know if these crystal theoretical structures could be made,” Kimchi says.</p>
<p>“We developed a model for this family of materials that involved frustration and spin-orbit coupling and crystal structure, all three tied up together. The model has some unusual predictions, one about the possibility of a spin liquid type of entangled state,” Kimchi explains. He is continuing work on other predictions from the model proposed in the paper about unusual spiral states, in which spins point in a very unusual spiral configuration. More recently, Kimchi co-authored&nbsp;<a dir="ltr" href="http://journals.aps.org/prb/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevB.94.201110" target="_blank">work</a>&nbsp;on these spiral states with&nbsp;<a dir="ltr" href="https://www2.physics.ox.ac.uk/contacts/people/coldear" target="_blank">Radu Coldea</a>&nbsp;at Oxford University. “In this recent paper, I discuss what makes them unusual. It’s a little bit technical but turns out to be a very striking qualitative difference from usual spirals, this one is the first of its kind actually, and it comes from these ingredients of frustration and spin-orbit coupling and crystal structure that are in this model,” Kimchi says.</p>
<p><strong>Dance of the electrons</strong></p>
<p>Kimchi likens these mysterious behaviors of electrons to a quantum mechanical dance. “It can mean a lot for how the material behaves because the electrons are doing something completely different,” he says. He tries to develop theories that point to new experimental directions. “The role I see for myself is as a theorist who works with experimentalists. That’s been my role in my PhD as well,” he says.</p>
<p>“All the kinds of work that I do are understanding things that nobody has thought of before. It’s really thinking about the possibilities for how electrons can collectively act with quantum mechanics. So what are possibilities that people haven’t even considered?” Kimchi says.</p>
<p>“Before you can talk about technological applications, you need to understand it quantitatively, but before you can understand things quantitatively, you need to understand them qualitatively, when there is something completely new that you can’t even understand qualitatively. For example, this qualitatively new type of spiral, where you’re just understanding, what is this thing seen in the material? What’s different about it from everything that came before, but how can we use what we know about what came before to understand it?” he says.</p>
<p><strong>Frustration at triangles</strong></p>
<p>In a very light atom, two properties of the electron, its momentum and its spin, are to a good approximation independent of each other. But in the heavy-element-based materials that Kimchi sometimes studies, relativistic effects couple the spin to the electron motion. At low temperatures, there may sometimes be just a few or one electron per atom (the outermost electron, i.e. a valence electron) involved in the low-temperature behavior, and its various states have low energy. Repulsive interactions between the electrons might lead a compound that should be metallic to instead become an insulator, with the electrons “stuck,” as in a traffic jam, on each atom.</p>
<p>In such a so-called Mott insulator, an essential question is what happens to the electron spin. In many cases, the electrons on successive atoms form an alternating line of spin up and spin down electrons, preferring to alternate the spin on every site. In the context of his work, Kimchi says, magnetic frustration refers to cases where the electron doesn’t know whether it wants to be spin up or spin down. For example, this happens in crystals with structures where there are triangles in the lattice of the magnetic atom. In materials with this triangular type of arrangement, the crystal structure doesn’t allow a checkerboard pattern of alternating up/down spins. “This kind of frustration from the triangles is a way to amplify the effects of quantum mechanics,” Kimchi says. Electrons may be spin up at the first point of the triangle and spin down at the second, but the frustration at the third point can force the electron into a quantum superposition of both spin up and spin down. (This type of quantum superposition from coupling of spin up and spin has been shown in&nbsp;<a dir="ltr" href="http://news.mit.edu/2016/stabilizing-quantum-bits-0406" target="_self">nitrogen-vacancy center diamond</a>.) Spin-orbit coupling can have frustration effects similar to the triangles, again amplifying the collective quantum effects in the material.</p>
<p>He is currently working on quantum magnetic insulators that have both magnetic frustration and some disorder, which means there are irregularities in the arrangement of atoms. “There is some really interesting interplay between this quantum frustration and disorder, such as from impurities or other material randomness, and I am exploring how they combine. They can actually enhance each other’s effects, it turns out,” Kimchi says.</p>
<p>At Berkeley, Kimchi was advised by Professor Ashvin Vishwanath, who also was a Pappalardo Fellow in Physics at MIT from 2001 to 2004. Like Kimchi, Vishwanath — who is now at Harvard University — also worked closely with Senthil Todadri. During his PhD work, among other projects, Kimchi analyzed the role of spin-orbit coupling in quantum spin liquids, in which all of the spin moments of the electron are thought to be in a quantum superposition across the material. “Because they are quantum mechanical, one of the fundamental issues is there is no general direct way to see this quantum superposition,” he says. “One of my goals is to try to understand what are other experiments that one could do on other materials to try to understand this elusive behavior better.”</p>
<p>“There is a set of experiments that collectively form sufficient evidence that some kinds of spin liquids do occur in these certain materials, but what they are exactly, there is still some key understanding that’s lacking,” he suggests. “It’s a very hard problem, but it’s very interesting because what you have is a chunk of material where the electrons are in a quantum superposition state of the magnetic moments of their spins involving a subtle dance across the entire chunk of material.”</p>
<p><strong>Multicultural realm</strong></p>
<p>Although he was born in Israel, Kimchi considers himself to be more American, but he cherishes the multicultural research environment at MIT. “One of the fun things about science is getting to know people from across the world, how international it is,” he says.</p>
<p>Kimchi is married to Mollie Kimchi-Schwartz, who also is a physicist and a staff scientist at MIT Lincoln Laboratory, where she works on quantum information and quantum computing. He enjoys traveling, hiking, and being outdoors.</p>
MIT Pappalardo Fellow in physics Itamar Kimchi studies unusual behavior of electrons in transition metal oxides. Frustration of electrons in some materials at extremely low temperatures can force them to abandon their preference for classical magnetic states and instead enter unusual states of collective quantum superposition. Photo: Denis Paiste/Materials Processing CenterPhysics, Graduate, postdoctoral, Staff, Research, Materials Science and Engineering, Metals, Materials Processing Center, School of ScienceJoan Rubin named executive director and senior lecturer of MIT System Design and Managementhttps://news.mit.edu/2017/joan-rubin-named-executive-director-senior-lecturer-mit-system-design-management-0126
Rubin will manage all facets of SDM to support a degree program that develops leaders who can manage complex systems in an ever-changing world.Thu, 26 Jan 2017 12:30:01 -0500Lois Slavin | System Design and Managementhttps://news.mit.edu/2017/joan-rubin-named-executive-director-senior-lecturer-mit-system-design-management-0126<p>Joan S. Rubin has been named executive director and senior lecturer of MIT's <a href="http://sdm.mit.edu" target="_blank">System Design and&nbsp;Management</a> (SDM)&nbsp;program. Offered jointly by the MIT School of Engineering and MIT Sloan School of Management, SDM offers early-to-mid-career technical professionals an opportunity to earn an MS in engineering and management, with an emphasis on using systems thinking to tackle the complex, interdisciplinary challenges of designing and developing new products and services.</p>
<p>As executive director, Rubin will be responsible for managing all facets of SDM to support the vision of a technically grounded degree program that develops leaders who can manage complex systems in an ever-changing world. Rubin will work closely with SDM’s faculty codirectors to review SDM’s vision and will then develop a three-year strategic plan that establishes the program’s top priorities for students, alumni, faculty, and corporate partners.</p>
<p>Rubin will also work directly with SDM students, advising them on their academic paths and careers beyond MIT. In addition, she will oversee the creation of new offerings for SDM alumni interested in career and professional development.</p>
<p>In her senior lecturer role, Rubin will work with SDM faculty to continue to evolve the core courses, engage faculty from across MIT in the SDM program, advise and supervise SDM fellows on thesis research, guide certificate students on group capstone projects, and teach.</p>
<p>Rubin joined SDM in 2010 as industry codirector and was instrumental in increasing the engagement of existing SDM industry partners and recruiting new ones. Among other important accomplishments, she&nbsp;was influential in redesigning the SDM core course sequence; she restructured the admissions process to improve the quality of admitted students; and she has broadly expanded SDM’s outreach and involvement with the corporate community.</p>
<p>Prior to joining SDM, Rubin served as vice president of Covidien, a leading manufacturer of medical devices and supplies. As a graduate of MIT Leaders for Global Operations, Rubin holds an MS in management and an MS in mechanical engineering. She also earned a BS&nbsp;in mechanical engineering from Brown University.</p>
Joan Rubin is the newly-appointed executive director and senior lecturer of the MIT System Design and Management (SDM) program.Photo: Dave SchultzStaff, System Design and Management, Systems engineering, Sloan School of Management, School of Engineering